Feb. 16, 2000
By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Consecutive double-digit conference losses hadKentucky coach Tubby Smith proclaiming it was time to ease up on the insidegame and increase the tempo a bit.
But the power game proved to be the only reliable method of scoringWednesday night as the 19th-ranked Wildcats held off a late charge to beatinjury-riddled Alabama 66-54.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and moved the Wildcats (18-7,8-3 Southeastern Conference) into a second-place tie with Florida in theEastern Division, one game behind Tennessee.
Jamaal Magloire scored 16 points and Tayshaun Prince added 14, most comingon putbacks or drives, as Kentucky won its 17th straight home game.
Forwards Jules Camara and Marvin Stone, who both missed practice time thisweek because of injuries, helped solidify the interior game, coming off thebench to combine for 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.
That was a good thing as the Wildcats shot only 41 percent, including adismal 2-of-23 from 3-point range.
“We did push and run the ball, we just didn’t put points on thescoreboard,” Smith said. “We certainly did not shoot the ball well tonight,even with open looks. We shot the ball well in practice, it just didn’t carryover.
“I think we’re still a little hesitant and not going up smooth. Their zonegave us some problems and that’s something we have to resolve.”
Alabama (11-12, 4-7) shot 32 percent from the field (19-of-59), hitting more3-point baskets (11) than two-pointers (8). The Crimson Tide made only one oftheir first eight shots to open the game and missed their first 10 shots of thesecond half, giving the Wildcats a chance to take control of both halves.
“We put ourselves in a hole,” Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. “In thefirst half, we had some turnovers and got into a hurried pace.”
Alabama had been forced because of injuries to play their last two gameswith only six scholarship players. Guard Schea Cotton and forward Sam Haginasreturned against the Wildcats but were ineffective, contributing a total of sixpoints and three rebounds in 20 minutes.
Freshman guard Rod Grizzard picked up the slack, scoring 14 of his game-high20 points in the second half as the Tide trimmed an 18-point deficit to onlyfive late in the game.
Grizzard hit 4-of-8 3-pointers and Terrance Meade added 4-of-9 and finishedwith 13 points.
“I was very impressed with Grizzard and Meade,” Smith said. “Both of themmade a lot of 3s. One of the things we were trying to do was defend the 3-pointshot, and we didn’t do a very good job.”
Alabama trailed 52-36 with 11:13 to play when Grizzard scored eight pointsin a 13-2 run to pull the Tide within 54-49 with 2:57 remaining.
Following a putback by Prince, Kentucky forced a shot-clock violation onAlabama’s next possession. Two free throws by Magloire gave the Wildcats a58-49 lead with 1:43 to play, and the Tide would get no closer.
“I was proud of our players,” Gottfried said. “We kept fighting and gotto where we were shooting fouls shots to cut it to four. We just didn’t seem tohave enough.”
