Dec. 6, 2008
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Box Score
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Jack McClinton scored 23 points and James Dews added a season-high 18 as No. 21 Miami defeated ice-cold shooting Kentucky 73-67 on Saturday.
The tale of the tape in this one was found beyond the 3-point arc. Miami (5-2) matched a season best with eight 3s, while Kentucky (5-3) misfired on 23 of 25 from behind the line.
Dews matched his career high with four 3s.
The Wildcats had their worst shooting game going 25-70 (35.7 percent).
Down 49-28, Kentucky went on a 12-1 run to cut the deficit to 10. The Wildcats would get within four a few minutes later after a fastbreak layup by DeAndre Liggins and another one by Jodie Meeks, fed by Liggins following a steal.
But Miami’s victory was preserved by two long jumpers by Brian Asbury.
The first appeared to be a 3, but his foot was ruled on the line. The second was a no-doubter, pushing the Hurricanes’ lead to 65-56 with under two minutes left.
Asbury’s 3 was Miami’s only one of the second half, but it appeared early that the Hurricanes’ sharp-shooting guards were going to overwhelm the Wildcats much the way VMI did earlier this season in an upset win.
Miami opened the game with two 3-pointers in the first minute and nailed two more, both by Dews, in the final minute before halftime. In between, things weren’t much better for a Kentucky defense that couldn’t seem to guard jump shots and a Kentucky offense that couldn’t seem to make them.
Miami closed the half on a 15-4 run, including the two last-minute 3s by Dews, to take a 46-26 lead.
The taller Wildcats did the things they were expected to do, such as dominate the paint with 36 points compared to Miami’s 18, and outrebound the Hurricanes 45-35.
Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson had a career-high 16 rebounds to go along with his 19 points, his fifth double-double of the season.
Liggins, a freshman, also had a standout offensive game with several highlight reel plays en route to a career-high 18 points, but he was 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Meeks, Kentucky’s usual long-range specialist, wasn’t much better, hitting just two 3s in the first half and missing his other 10 tries.
Miami was fighting to remain in the Top 25 after a home loss last week to Ohio State. Kentucky hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent since topping Tennessee last January.
Kentucky point guard Michael Porter, wearing a headband to cover up a laceration that required 10 stitches after his collision with teammate Ramon Harris, started the game but fouled out with only two points. Harris, who is sidelined indefinitely, attended the game wearing a neck collar.
