UK Finds a Way in First Road Game
John Calipari knew things would go sideways at some point in Kentucky’s first true road game. What he wanted to find out was whether the Wildcats could turn things right side up again.
They did exactly that.
“Anytime you win on the road in this league, it’s big,” Coach Cal said. “Especially when we’re walking in the gym and the students back on campus for the first time and it’s a sellout and it was really hot in there, I don’t know if you guys noticed. I was soaked in there. Our kids fought it and won the game.”
Even though Georgia built a lead and the free-throw line went from the Cats’ best friend to their Achilles heel, UK managed to find a way to survive its first away game in Southeastern Conference play. No. 14/13 Kentucky (11-3, 2-0 SEC) went into a raucous Stegeman Coliseum and downed Georgia (10-4, 0-1 SEC), 78-69.
UK entered Tuesday night’s game having outscored opponents by 8.31 points per game at the free-throw line – third most in the country – but the Bulldogs flipped the script on that. The Cats made only 10 of 20 free throws even though they were shooting 80.1% as a team coming in, while Georgia got to the line 23 times and made 16.
“Either we were shooting jumpers or they are a terrific defensive team that doesn’t foul,” Calipari said. “I don’t know. But some of it was us shooting jumpers, pull-ups and all that. Not only did we shoot less, we made less.”
Before the Georgia game, UK had been outscored at the line only twice this season. Both games (Utah and Ohio State) were losses, but the Cats are a different team than they were in Las Vegas.
“We won without making free throws today,” Calipari said. “It’s good to know we can do that.”
UK won on the strength of an outstanding second half that saw the Cats shoot 58.6% from the field and hold Georgia to 40.7%. Calipari rode a lineup of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, Nate Sestina and Nick Richards for all but seven minutes after halftime, sensing he needed veterans on the floor.
“What I did in the second half, just so you know: three guards and the two fresh big guys, which were Nick and Nate because they didn’t play that much (in the first half),” Calipari said. “And then I rode them. Just said, ‘How much can you play?’ You know what’s amazing is they don’t want to come out and I’m good with it. Play. They made the plays. They made the defensive stops. We rebounded the ball.”
All five contributed, led by Ashton Hagans. Days after spraining his ankle, Hagans had 13 points and five rebounds in his Georgia homecoming. He also played eraser from start to finish in short-circuiting multiple Georgia fast breaks with four steals.
“He is so confident and comfortable in his own skin that he and I are like laughing at halftime,” Calipari said. “He’s sitting in front of me and I’m talking and he’s laughing and I’m laughing. That’s how comfortable he is. He knows this is his team to run.”
Hagans is comfortable enough to trust his teammates to make plays. Richards (17 points and seven rebounds) and Sestina (eight points and seven rebounds) did that with huge second halves, while Quickley stayed hot in scoring 15 points and making all three of his 3-point tries.
Maxey, meanwhile, was ready for the moment in his first true road game. He had 17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four blocks.
“It’s a big-time road win right here,” Maxey said. “Had to go on the road, fight as a unit, stay together.”
