Kentucky Falls to Oakland in NCAA First Round
Postseason coverage presented by UK Healthcare
Antonio Reeves scored 27 points but third-seeded Kentucky lost to Oakland 80-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh.
Reeves made 11 of 18 from the field, including five of nine from behind the arc on his way to his 20th 20-point game of the season.
UK got 14 points and 13 rebounds from Tre Mitchell. Rob Dillingham and Justin Edwards each had 10 for Kentucky.
Kentucky got on the board first on a Mitchell jumper. However, both teams went cold after that, missing 11 shots in a row between them, a streak that ended with a DQ Cole three that gave Oakland a 3-2 lead.
That lead lasted 17 seconds before Reeves hit an acrobatic layup to give the Cats a 4-3 advantage. After an Oakland basket, Mitchell tied the game on a free throw then UK took the lead back on a Reeves layup.
Oakland took the lead on a Jack Gohlke three before an Adou Thiero dunk made it 9-8 UK. Gohlke hit another three to give the Golden Grizzlies an 11-9 lead before Reeves tied the game on a layup. Kentucky took a 13-11 lead on a Zvonimir Ivisic tip in but Oakland scored the next eight points, including two threes by Gohlke, to lead 19-13.
UK got an Ivisic free throw, then a basket and free throw from Mitchell to cut the deficit to 19-17. However, Gohlke hit another three and Cole added a free throw to give the Golden Grizzlies a 23-17 advantage with 8:31 left in the half.
Aaron Bradshaw made one of two at the line, Reeves hit a driving basket and Mitchell hit two free throws to get the Cats within one, 23-22. After an Oakland basket, Reeves hit a corner three to tie the game at 25-25. However, Gohlke hit another three to give Oakland a 28-25 lead. Reeves answered with a three but Blake Lampman hit a three to give the Golden Grizzlies a 31-28 lead with 3:44 left in the half.
Kentucky would go on a 7-2 run, with all seven points from Dillingham, to lead 35-33. But Gohlke hit another three to give Oakland a 36-35 lead. The Golden Grizzlies would lead 38-35 at the half.
In the second half, the Cats got started with a Bradshaw dunk to get within one, 38-37. After an Oakland free throw, UK got a basket and free throw from Ugonna Onyenso to take a 40-39 lead. However, Oakland scored the next four to lead 43-40. Edwards then drove in for a layup, and added a subsequent free throw, to tie the game at 43 apiece.
Reeves converted a fast break layup to give UK a 45-43 lead but Townsend hit a three to give Oakland a 46-45 advantage. Gohlke followed with his eighth three of the game, giving the Golden Grizzlies a 49-45 lead with 14:01 remaining.
Mitchell hit a pair of free throws to get the Cats within two but Gohlke hit his ninth three to make it 52-47. A Reeves basket got the Cats within three, 52-49 and the teams would trade single free throws to make it 53-50. Townsend scored inside to extend the lead to 55-50 before Edwards scored in the lane to cut the deficit to 55-52.
Oakland would score the next four points to lead 59-52 before a Mitchell layup got the Cats within five. The teams would trade baskets, with Mitchell scoring again, to make it 61-56 with 7:57 left.
A Reeves three cut the deficit to 61-59 and the Cats had a chance to tie or lead on the next possession, but turned the ball over. Cole would hit a three for Oakland to make it 64-59 but Reed Sheppard answered with a three of his own, making it 64-62 with 6:03 remaining.
Gohlke hit his 10th three to make it 67-62 but Reeves immediately answered with a three of his own, making it 67-65 with 4:16 remaining. However, Oakland would make four straight free throws to extend its lead to 71-65 with 3:33 to play.
Edwards hit a three to cut the deficit to 71-68 but Townsend scored to make it 73-68. Another Reeves three made it 73-71 with 1:44 to play. A pair of Oakland free throws made it 75-71 before Dillingham hit a three with 1:03 left to cut the deficit to 75-74. But Cole answered with a three of his own with 28 seconds left, giving the Golden Grizzles a 78-74 advantage.
Oakland would add another free throw to lead 79-74 before an Edwards layup got UK within three, 79-76, with 3.9 seconds to play. Townsend made one of two at the line with three seconds remaining to provide the final margin.
Kentucky finishes its season 23-10.
