INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kentucky didn’t have to rely on its 3-point shooting Thursday. Instead, the Wildcats took advantage of their powerful inside game.
Kelenna Azubuike and Chuck Hayes each scored 16 points and second-seeded Kentucky dominated the middle to hold off state rival Eastern Kentucky 72-64 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Kentucky (26-5) extended its record for NCAA tournament victories to 94 and is now 37-9 in NCAA tournament openers. The Wildcats advanced to Saturday’s second round of the Austin Regional and will face either Cincinnati or Iowa.
The Colonels (22-9) were led by Matt Witt with 21 points and Michael Haney with 12 points, but their first tournament appearance since 1979 ended quickly. Eastern Kentucky’s longest winning streak since 1964-65 ended at seven. The Colonels are now 0-6 in NCAA tournament games and 0-9 against the Wildcats.
The biggest difference was Kentucky’s dominant interior players. They outscored Eastern Kentucky 42-24 and drew enough fouls to put the Colonels’ two best post players – Haney and Alonzo Hird – in foul trouble. Hird finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Eastern Kentucky was sloppy in the first half, and coach Travis Ford, a former Kentucky player, tried everything to get his team settled down. He slammed his foot on the floor, pleaded with his players and even tried to coax the officials into making calls.
The other problem was converting fast breaks. About a half-dozen times, the Colonels threw the ball away or missed layups on breakaways.
And that was all Kentucky needed to take control.
The Wildcats used a 25-9 run midway through the first half to take a 35-20 lead.
Eastern Kentucky rallied to within 40-32 at halftime and 44-36 early in the second half, but the Wildcats countered with an 8-0 run to make it 52-36.
It appeared then that the Wildcats would roll.
But the Colonels answered with their own 8-0 run, and later Witt hit two straight 3-pointers to close the gap to 67-62 with 2:13 to go.
Kentucky sealed the win by shutting out the Colonels for the final 89 seconds.
Rajon Rondo scored 12 points and was the only other Wildcat to reach double figures.
