March 28, 1998
By STEVE WILSTEIN
AP Sports Writer
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – The Kentucky Wildcats picked up where they left off lastseason, beating taller, brawnier and supposedly smarter Stanford 86-85 in anovertime thriller Saturday to advance to the Final Four championship game forthe third straight year.
Kentucky got the job done this time with the slick 27-point shooting of JeffSheppard and moved within one victory of its seventh national title.
Champions two years ago and runners-up to Arizona last year under RickPitino, the Wildcats’ return to the title game came with a team that TubbySmith inherited but shaped into his own.
More than a collection of thoroughbreds racing up and down the court, thisKentucky squad coped cleverly with Stanford and overcame the absence of asuperstar by playing with slick teamwork.
Down by as many as 10 points in the second half, Kentucky stepped up thedefensive pressure with Smith standing and screaming on the sideline and rodethe outside shooting of Sheppard and the inside muscle of Nazr Mohammed tovictory.
Sheppard scored six of his points in overtime, and Mohammed bounced backfrom foul trouble and scoreless first half to score 18 points.
Arthur Lee, the hero of Stanford’s victory over Rhode Island in the MidwestRegional final, led the Cardinal with 26 points while backcourt teammate KrisWeems scored 17.
