March 7, 1999
ATLANTA (Ticker) — No. 14 Kentucky goes for its third straight Southeastern Conference tournament title today when it battles a red-hot Arkansas squad in the championship game at the Georgia Dome.
The Wildcats (24-8), who also are the defending NCAA Tournament champions, beat No. 4 Auburn for the second time this season on Saturday, handing the Tigers a 69-57 defeat in the semifinals. Scott Padgett and Wayne Turner scored 13 points apiece for Kentucky, which held Auburn to 30 percent shooting and a season low in points.
This is the eighth straight year the Wildcats have reached the SEC finals. Kentucky, which is 12-0 all-time at the Georgia Dome, has won 22 of its last 23 SEC tournament games and is one win shy of its 23rd SEC tournament title in 39 years.
Next week, Kentucky will be bidding for its fourth consecutive Final Four appearance and third NCAA Tournament title in that span. The Wildcats have won seven NCAA Tournament championships. Turner, who has been a part of the first three Final Four teams, has totaled 37 points in his last two games.
Arkansas (22-9) has won four of its last five games and reached the finals with an 84-79 overtime victory over Mississippi State on Saturday. Pat Bradley scored 27 points and Derek Hood added 17 and 17 rebounds for the Razorbacks, who have won six of their last eight games to seal their second straight NCAA Tournament berth and 24th overall.
The Razorbacks began their push for the NCAA Tournament with a 74-70 victory over Kentucky on February 20. Bradley and Kareem Reid scored 17 points apiece for Arkansas, which followed that win with an 104-88 thrashing of Auburn four days later.
Bradley was 5-of-14 from 3-point range but finished 10-of-23 from the field for the Razorbacks, who hit 10 shots from beyond the arc overall in Saturday’s victory. In its last five games, Arkansas has made 35.1 percent (48-of-137) of its 3-point shots.
Kentucky stormed to a 99-74 victory over the Razorbacks in last year’s semifinals and defeated them in the 1995 championship game and 1996 semifinals. The Wildcats are 12-5 all-time against Arkansas.
Arkansas has never won an SEC tournament title since joining the league in 1992.
