After going 18 scoreless minutes, Rajon Rondo delivered a clutch three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left to lift Kentucky to an 80-78 victory over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Rupp Arena.
Rondo, who had just two first-half points, scored UK?s first two baskets of the second half and then went scoreless until the final play. He took the inbounds pass and dribbled the length of the court before juking Tarence Kinsey out of his socks for an open look from the left wing.
After missing his first two three-point attempts badly, Rondo calmly buried the winner to the satisfaction of 23,420 fans.
It is the second time in three Wildcat victories that Rondo has been the hero in the final seconds. Against UCF, he knocked down a turn-around jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining for a two-point victory.
In a game that featured eight ties and 22 lead changes, three lead changes came in the final minute to set up Rondo?s heroics. The game was tied with one minute left before Kinsey knocked down a pair of free throws for a 76-74 USC lead.
Patrick Sparks answered with a deep three from straight away to push UK back ahead. Antoine Tisby gave the Gamecocks a 78-77 lead with nine seconds left after a pair of free throws. He was fouled on the play by Randolph Morris, who dominated early, but sat out most of the final 27 minutes with foul trouble. All 12 of Morris?s points came in the game?s first 13 minutes.
Kinsey led all scorers with 21 points after knocking down his first seven shots, including three three-pointers. Sparks finished with four three pointers and Kentucky improved to 17-1 when he hits three or more from downtown. Sparks? 14 points was his second highest point total of the season.
The win improved Kentucky to 12-6 and pulled them even at 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play. It also prevented a three-game home losing streak in SEC play for the Wildcats, which would have been a first in school annals.
The Wildcats offense was efficient all game long, hitting 55.9 percent from the field ? its second straight outing over 55 percent ? to improve to 99-2 in the Tubby Smith era when hitting 50 percent or better from the field. Kentucky was also deadly from three-point range, hitting a season-high 12 on 24 attempts.
South Carolina, which had split overtime decisions in its past two outings, fell to 10-8 overall and 1-4 in the league. The Gamecocks dropped to 1-19 all time in Lexington.
Midway through the second half, it looked as if Carolina would escape with the win. Sparked by three three-pointers, USC scored 15 consecutive points ? the most by a UK opponent this year ? to take a 58-46 lead with 12:40 remaining.
However, Kentucky answered behind the offense of senior Ravi Moss and junior Bobby Perry. Moss scored all five of his points on the run and Perry had five of his 13 to bring Kentucky within 61-58.
The teams battled back and forth until the waning minutes when South Carolina seemingly took control once again. Tre? Kelley?s old fashioned three-point play gave the Gamecocks a 74-70 lead with just 2:48 left.
Again the Wildcats rallied. Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford, who led Kentucky with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, scored on consecutive possessions to knot the game heading into the final minute.
Both teams came out firing in the opening minutes, taking a 20-20 tie into the first media time out seven minutes in. Led by eight points from Patrick Sparks, the Wildcats made eight of their first 12 shots, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Led by Dwayne Day’s nine points, South Carolina matched UK shot for shot, hitting 7-of-11 to that point.
The pace slowed down as the half continued, but the game remained tight. The Wildcats held their biggest lead of the first 20 minutes, at five points, twice before taking a 40-38 lead into the locker room.
At the half, Kentucky honored the 1966 NCAA Runner-up team on the court.
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they travel to Auburn. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
