Anger Management: Ulis, Murray carry Cal-less Wildcats over South Carolina
Final: No. 22 Kentucky 89, South Carolina 62
UK: Tyler Ulis 27 pts, 12 ast, 2 stl
And we thought Frank Martin was the hot head.
After jumping out to a 5-2 lead 2:26 into the game, an over-the-back foul on South Carolina forward Mindaugas Kacinas led to a loose-lipped John Calipari – who was then promptly ejected following a heated (and borderline violent) exchange with referee Doug Sirmons.
The Wildcats however, were unbothered by their coaches absence. Kentucky (19-6, 9-3 SEC) cruised in this one, fueled by sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis (who had career-highs in both points and assists) and Jamal Murray – who continued his dominant freshman campaign with 26 points and five rebounds.
Kentucky went into the locker room leading 41-27 at halftime, and led by as many as 34 points late in the game to go along with 11 made 3-pointers. Michael Carrera finished with 25 points and his seventh double-double of the season, but he couldn’t save the Gamecocks (21-4, 8-4 SEC) from their worst home loss since 2012.
The Wildcats are now tied with LSU atop the SEC at 9-3.
Not Ideal: Texas A&M drops its fourth straight in Baton Rouge
Final: LSU 76, No. 15 Texas A&M 71
LSU: Ben Simmons 16 points, 11 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk
When you shoot 55.8 percent on the road, you’re almost guaranteed to head back to campus with a win, right?
Wrong.
The freefalling Aggies (18-7, 7-5 SEC) connected on 29 of their 52 shot attempts against the Tigers on Saturday, but turned the ball over 19 times to LSU’s nine, and were outscored 23-6 at the charity stripe. Not exactly a winning formula in hostile territory.
Ben Simmons some how managed to put up another freakish stat line despite shooting a mediocre 4 for 11 from the field, and Keith Hornsby added 15 points and an emotional lift after outracing two Aggie guards for a loose ball midway through the second half.
Craig Victor II was also impressive around the basket, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the second half in 25 minutes of action. LSU (16-9, 9-3 SEC) moves to 6-0 at home in SEC play, while Billy Kennedy’s club is now on the verge of being unranked.
SEC in the NBA: Davis, Wall, Cousins and Horford put on a show in Toronto
Final: West 196, East 173
Three former Kentucky Wildcats and a Florida Gator represented the Southeastern Conference in this year’s NBA All-Star game in Toronto, Canada, putting up some impressive numbers in the highest scoring All-Star Game in league history.
Anthony Davis, now a franchise center for the New Orleans Pelicans, led all SEC players with 24 points, six rebounds and a few thunderous dunks that reminded us all of Kentucky’s dominant NCAA Tournament run back in 2012.
Davis’ predecessor, John Wall, showed off his otherworldly speed and athleticism in his third career All-Star nod. The Washington Wizards superstar finished with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists – and his old Wildcat running mate — and now Sacramento King —DeMarcus Cousins added 11 points on 5 for 5 shooting in his second All-Star appearance.
Ex-Gator Al Horford, who replaced Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh on the Eastern Conference roster, had a quiet night, scoring 7 points in nine minutes and 25 seconds of playing time.
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