LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Jermareo Davidson had 18 of his career-high 28 points in the second half to lead Alabama to a 68-64 victory over Kentucky on Saturday, the free-falling Wildcats’ second straight home loss.
Davidson dominated a late 12-0 run by the Crimson Tide (9-6, 2-1 Southeastern Conference), who beat the Wildcats in Lexington for only the 10th time in 60 meetings.
His three-point with a minute left gave the Tide a two-point lead.
Kentucky (10-6, 0-2) had taken a 64-63 lead on consecutive 3-pointers by Ramel Bradley and Ravi Moss and a driving layup by Rajon Rondo. Bradley later missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game.
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, concerned about Alabama’s size advantage, started a bigger lineup that out-rebounded the Tide 32-21. But in the end, there was no answer for Davidson, who seemed to make every big shot.
Ronald Steele had 14 points and Brandon Hollinger added 10 for the Crimson Tide.
It was a major test for an Alabama team that will have to play the rest of the season without forward Chuck Davis, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament last Saturday against Mississippi. Without Davis, who was a candidate for national player of the year, the Crimson Tide lost to Ole Miss before bouncing back to defeat archrival Auburn on Sunday.
But Kentucky continued its recent funk. It was blown out a week ago at Kansas in the worst loss ever under Smith, then lost Tuesday in Vanderbilt’s only win ever at Rupp Arena. The stretch dropped Kentucky out of the Top 25 last week, snapping the nation’s second-longest current streak of poll appearances.
Randolph Morris, who was suspended for the first 14 games of the season because of his association with a sports agency, made his first start and led Kentucky with 19 points. But, he was the victim of many of Davidson’s dunks and layups in the second half.
The cold shooting that has plagued Kentucky the last few games was a problem early as Alabama’s inside pressure forced the Wildcats to miss 12 of their first 15 shots. But it was the unguarded ones – free throws – that kept them in the game.
Alabama got into foul trouble, including three early ones by both Evan Brock and Jean Felix, and the Wildcats went 9-for-9 from the free throw line in the first half.
Morris had five of those, and his thundering dunk midway through the half ignited the crowd and put Kentucky ahead 16-14. The dunk was part of a 10-0 run for the Wildcats, but the Crimson Tide followed shortly thereafter with a 10-0 run of its own to regain the lead early in the second half. The 12-0 run came later.
Alabama shot 54 percent on the afternoon – only the fourth time in 82 games that a Kentucky opponent has made more than half its shots.
