Feb 19, 2003
By DOUGLAS PILS
AP Sports Writer
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) – Second-ranked Kentucky again turned to its defense and extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 15 games.
The Wildcats opened the second half of a 66-50 victory over Arkansas on Wednesday night struggling on offense. However, the defense held the Razorbacks to one basket over the first 10:22 of the half.
“We just pushed up our intensity in the second half because they had outworked us in the first half,” said junior guard Gerald Fitch, who led Kentucky with 17 points.
Erik Daniels added 10 points and three others had at least eight for the Wildcats (21-3, 11-0 Southeastern Conference), who were able to pull their starters with almost three minutes left.
Wildcats coach Tubby Smith won for the first time in six tries at Bud Walton Arena and it was the first win for any Kentucky team at Arkansas since an 83-73 victory on Jan. 26, 1997.
“We threw full-court pressure at them in the second half and that changed the pace of the game,” Smith said.
Kentucky didn’t score in the second half until two free throws by Chuck Hayes with 16:29 left gave the Wildcats a 38-31 lead. Hayes scored eight of his none points in a 12-2 run to start the second half.
After scoring just one point and grabbing one rebound in the first half, Hayes earned two trips to the free throw line by grabbing offensive rebounds during the second-half run.
“They were boxing out pretty well and I wasn’t getting into position,” Hayes said. “In the second half, I just kept moving and made myself available.”
While Kentucky used its defense to build its lead, Arkansas left coach Stan Heath shaking his head as the Razorbacks (7-15, 2-9) continually let the shot clock wind down before taking a shot.
“I thought we had good position at the half, but Kentucky is a good team and they came out strong in the second half,” Heath said. “We put ourselves in a deficit and we just couldn’t get out of it.”
Eric Ferguson had 13 points and Jonathan Modica added 10 for Arkansas, which shot 36 percent from the field (20-of-55).
Kentucky, the SEC’s top shooting team at 48.6 percent, finished at 45 percent (22-of-49). The Wildcats were just 3-of-14 from behind the 3-point line, but they won the rebound battle 35-32 and had 12 turnovers compared to 17 for Arkansas.
“We kept our composure and did some great things,” Smith said. “We did a good job of capitalizing on their turnovers.”
Arkansas never mounted a serious run after its drought that started the second half. The Wildcats maintained the defensive pressure as Arkansas made just five of its first 21 shots in the second half.
Fitch pushed Kentucky’s lead to 61-40 with a 3-pointer with about four minutes left in the game and the Wildcats coasted the rest of the way.
“We got some good shots, we just didn’t knock them down,” Arkansas guard Kendrick Davis said.
Fitch scored six of his eight points in the final two minutes of the second half.
Arkansas cut the lead to 28-25 on Davis’ 3-pointer with 2:31 left in the first half. Fitch, the Wildcats’ top 3-point shooter, quickly quieted the crowd with his own shot from beyond the arc.
Following an Arkansas turnover, Fitch spun Davis around in the low post for an easy layup. The Kentucky junior stripped the ball from Alonzo Lane the next time down the court and made a free throw after he was fouled on a breakaway for a 34-25 lead.
