February 17, 1999
By TIM WHITMIRE
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – With a 49-24 rebounding edge and seven players scoringin double figures, No. 6 Kentucky had its most impressive win in a month, 92-71over Georgia on Wednesday night.
After a stretch of uninspired performances and their first consecutiveSoutheastern Conference losses in seven years, the defending national championsappeared to be in postseason form in their best performance since a 72-62 winover then-undefeated Auburn on Jan. 20.
Heshimu Evans and Wayne Turner each had 13 points for Kentucky (21-6, 10-3),Scott Padgett and Jamaal Magloire each added 11 and Michael Bradley, JulesCamara and Tayshaun Prince all had 10. Padgett had a team-high eight rebounds.
Freshman D.A. Layne led Georgia (14-11, 5-8) with 24 points.
Jumaine Jones of Georgia, who scored 34 points in Kentucky’s 91-83 overtimewin at Georgia last month, was hobbled for much of the first half with anapparent injury to his right hip and did not play in the second half. Hefinished with seven points.
The Wildcats’ dominance on the boards was most pronounced in the first half,when they outrebounded the Bulldogs 25-3 and had 18 second-chance points tonone for Georgia. Kentucky led 47-31 at halftime.
After Kentucky scored the first eight points of the game, Georgia stayedclose by making six of eight first-half 3-pointers, including four by Layne.Meanwhile, Kentucky was 2-of-12 from long distance.
When Layne hit his fourth 3, with 6:52 left in the half, Kentucky led 28-26,But the Wildcats closed the half with a 19-5 run, capped by Padgett’s 3-pointerfrom the top of the key.
Kentucky did not let up in the second half, as Turner hit consecutive 3s atthe start. The Wildcats opened their biggest lead, 64-38, on Saul Smith’sbullet pass to a leaping Camara for a two-handed reverse dunk with 14:18 left.
As impressive as that play was, it was not Kentucky’s most spectacular ofthe night. With 8:11 left in the first half, freshman Desmond Allison missed a3-pointer from the right baseline, then leaped to palm his own rebound inmidair, redirecting it to Bradley, who slammed the ball home, bringing the fansto their feet.
