Dec 5, 2001
Box Score?|?Quotes?|?Notes?|?Photo Gallery
By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It took VMI less than two minutes to discover that size does matter when taking on an opponent like No. 11 Kentucky.
The much larger and more athletic Wildcats (4-1) dominated the Keydets (1-3) on the boards and in the paint, powering to a 99-57 victory Wednesday night.
Kentucky outrebounded VMI 50-28, with six players grabbing four or more rebounds, and blocked four shots. The Wildcats also scored 46 points inside to the Keydets’ 22.
“They were tough … really, really physical with us,” said VMI coach Bart Bellairs, whose squad lost 74-73 to Virginia Tech on Monday.
“When you get beat 50-28 on the boards. … I was trying to get the refs to block some guys out for us but they wouldn’t buy it.”
Tayshaun Prince scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Keith Bogans had 16 points, six rebounds and three assists for Kentucky, which won its fourth straight game following a season-opening loss to No. 25 Western Kentucky.
“I think we played an all-around game for the first time this season,” Bogans said. “Tonight, we had it all together – the offense and the defense.”
Marvin Stone added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Marquis Estill had 11 points for the Wildcats, who shot 50 percent from 3-point range and 56 percent overall.
“Marvin rebounded the ball extremely well and had two blocks,” Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. “He is working hard to attack the basket and is beginning to realize that is what he has to do to get more minutes.”
Jason Conley finished with 24 points and seven rebounds, and Daron Pressley had 12 points for VMI, which lost its third straight.
“When you play against guys like Tayshaun Prince, it’s tough because he’s so long,” said Conley, who was 10-of-18 from the field and wowed the Rupp Arena crowd with several athletic dunks. “He’s as long as an ostrich.”
Kentucky exploited its tremendous size advantage from the outset, pounding the ball inside on every possession and racing to an 11-0 lead in the first two minutes.
The Wildcats also hit five of their first eight 3-point shots, pushing the margin to 38-22 at the seven-minute mark.
“For once, we got off to a good start,” said Prince, who recorded his first double-double of the season and eighth of his career. “It was definitely on our minds to start strong, and I think that really made a difference how we played the rest of the game.”
From that point, Conley scored all 11 of VMI’s points the rest of the way as the Keydets trailed 52-33 at halftime.
Kentucky was never challenged in the second half. Prince’s driving layup with 12:30 remaining gave the Wildcats a 69-44 lead.
Gerald Fitch’s long 3-pointer put Kentucky up 85-55 with four minutes to play. Erik Daniels’ putback with less than a minute to play gave the Wildcats their first 40-point lead of the season.
VMI shot 33 percent from the field, going only 11-of-32 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 23 times.
“Our defense was a little more intense for a longer period of time tonight,” Smith said. “We just wore them down physically.”
Kentucky needs one victory to become the only college basketball program with 1,800. The Wildcats will get their first chance at the milestone Saturday against the school that sits second on the list – North Carolina (1,782).
