Jan. 15, 2000
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Kentucky coach Tubby Smith couldn’t tell from threedays of practice if the 20th-ranked Wildcats were ready for South Carolina.
It only took him only a few minutes of Saturday night’s 64-48 victory tofind out.
“I was really concerned about how we were going to respond” after Tuesdaynight’s loss to Auburn, Smith said. “You wonder how your guys are going torecover with classes starting, probably girlfriends and friends showing back upat school. But we do have players who have been in the program and know what weexpect.”
Players like Jamaal Magloire, a senior who scored 13 of his 15 points in thefirst half, and Jules Camara, a sophomore who had 12 points and 10 rebounds inhis most extensive action this season.
“Somebody has to be a leader, step up, set the tone for the game, andthat’s what I did,” said Magloire, who also had three steals and crashed intothe courtside table with his team ahead 14 points.
The Wildcats (11-5, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) trailed Auburn by 14 in thefirst half Tuesday night on the way to a 66-63 loss. They made sure not torepeat that mistake, using a 14-2 run midway through the opening period to graba 25-14 lead and beat the Gamecocks for the sixth straight time.
“I thought we had a pretty good outing and executed real well,” saidSmith.
South Carolina (9-7, 1-2) had taken undefeated Syracuse to overtime Thursdaynight before losing 77-74. But the Gamecocks had little pep in this one. Theywere 7 of 25 from the field in the opening half and only 13 of 48 overall.South Carolina ended with 17 turnovers and just 13 field goals.
After Chuck Eidson’s 3-pointer gave South Carolina a 12-11 lead, theGamecocks went almost six minutes without a field goal and the game was prettymuch over.
“I don’t believe 19- and 20-year-olds get tired, so don’t ask me that,”said South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler. “Mentally, it began to look like wesaid this is one of those days where nothing is going to go.”
About everything went in for Magloire and Camara. Magloire made six of eightshots and Camara five of six, all from within three feet. Marvin Stone, a 6-10freshman reserve, went of one of two from inside.
“Our post players came to play, they come to play every day,” said SaulSmith. “There’s not a big number of them, but they’re pretty big. We’retalented down there.”
Take away the inside production from Kentucky’s 25-for-49 shooting and its amore ordinary performance. “If we get this type of play inside, we don’tnecessarily need the outside,” coach Tubby Smith said.
Magloire opened Kentucky’s first-half run and Saul, the coach’s son, closedit on consecutive driving layups.
And Magloire didn’t quit when the game got comfortable, crashing over thecourtside media table head first after chasing a loose ball early in the secondhalf.
Even though his coach couldn’t tell, Magloire promised that the Wildcatswere hungry and prepared to win their first road game of the season.
“We’re confident, we’re not cocky,” he said. “We have to have thatattitude, we have to believe we can come out every game like this.”
The closest South Carolina, which trailed 37-23 at the half, got after thebreak was 13. Kentucky eventually built a 57-37 lead with four minutes left onTayshaun Prince’s 3-pointer.
Prince finished with 13 points for the Wildcats.
Antonio Grant, 0-for-3 in the opening half, scored 11 to lead SouthCarolina.
It was the largest defeat of the season for South Carolina, and 22 pointsbelow its scoring average.
