LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky veterans Ramel Bradley and Bobby Perry combined for 56 points Saturday to direct the Blue past the White, 95-87, in the annual Blue-White Scrimmage in Memorial Coliseum.
The duo had 28 apiece to lead four Kentucky players with 20 or more points. Bradley added five steals and three rebounds and shot an impressive 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Junior guard Joe Crawford led all scorers with 29 points and junior center Randolph Morris added 24 for the White.
?We are doing a good job playing together,? UK head coach Tubby Smith said. ?The guys are communicating better on the court. They are looking for each other both offensively and defensively. We did some good things with Joe [Crawford] and Ramel [Bradley] off some pick and rolls, but that is some stuff that they were doing a lot in the summer and fall. We want to give them a little more freedom as we introduce some more of the offense and make sure some of the right guys are taking the shots.?
In an evenly matched contest, free-throw shooting proved to be a key for the Blue, as they connected on 17-of-17 attempts from the charity stripe. The White squad made 75 percent (9-of-12) of its free-throw attempts.
Both squads shot better than 50 percent from the floor with the Blue team shooting 55 percent (36-of-65) from the floor, while the White connected on 52 percent (35-of-67). The Blue held a narrow 45-43 advantage at halftime after shooting just 48 percent (17-of-35) from the field in the opening stanza.
The two teams were knotted at 75 with 5:53 remaining in the game before the White jumped in front 82-80 on a resounding three-pointer by Crawford with 4:07 left to play. The Blue kept fighting and finally went in front for good, 85-82, when Perry knocked down a trey with 3:12 remaining to break an 82-all tie. Bradley scored the last six points of the game with a jumper and four free throws to seal the win for the Blue.
Crawford connected on 12-of-22 shots from the field and added six rebounds to lead all scorers.
?Joe is an excellent scorer and an excellent free-throw shooter,? Smith said. ?We have to find way to get him involved. When you can attack the rim it puts a lot of pressure on the opposing team. He is a good free-throw shooter who should take 8 to 10 free throws per game the way he can shoot the ball.?
Freshman Jodie Meeks was impressive in his Wildcat debut, scoring 15 points to complement four assists, while fellow rookie Derrick Jasper had 13 points with five assists and two steals.
Kentucky opens its 2006-07 slate with an exhibition game against Lindsey Wilson at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2. The Wildcats begin their regular season on Nov. 15 against Miami (Ohio) in Rupp Arena.
