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'Pitino Ball' bounces 'Dogs
Three-point shots, ball-hawking defense give UK 102-97 win; 'Cats find themselves No. 1 in SEC
by TCP associate editor Nick Nicholas
Never will there be a shortage of three-point tries under Kentucky coach Rick Pitino. Even Johnathon Davis, a not-ready-for-perimeter player, has permission from his hardwood guardian to go outsid^ and play with Derrick, Sean, Richie and the rest of the Wildcat gang.
Against first SEC foe M ississippi State on Monday (Dec. 4), eight 'Cats tried it...and Pitino liked it.
Kentucky was successful on 13 of an SEC record 35 attempted treys (to start last season it took UK six games to total 43 attempts), defeating the Bulldogs 102-97 at Rupp Arena. Thus, UK stood alone atop the SEC standings with a 1-0 mark.
"I told our guys that the only thing I would be upset with was if we stopped taking the three," Pitino, watching his team win its second game in three outings, said. "Tonight we had movement, we were working inside-and-out penetration...1 wanted them to keep shooting until they started making them."
Not once did Kentucky shy away. Pitino himself questioned only five trifectas, including a Davis airball.
UK hit on a productive 37.1 percent from long range, including five on-target bombs by senior Derrick Miller. It was Nfiller'stwo" three-pointers early in the second half, one from each wing, that pushed the lead to 15, 60^15. UK's advantage peaked at 21 (71-50) thanks to a precision pass from Deron Feldhaus to an open Jeff Brassow underneath.
These Bulldogs, losers for the first time this season, didn't tuck their tail between their legs.
On the short end of a 79-62 count, Richard Williams' club climbed within striking distance with the help of a 29-16 run. So, when Greg Carter connected on a three-pointer with 40 seconds left, the visitors trailed by only four (95-91).
A free throw by John Pelphrey followed by a Pelphrey-Sean Woods' theft converted into a slam by Feldhaus eased 23,132 fast-beating hearts.
You can also add one particular New Yorker to that count.
"I coached a hundred games a season for two years and there's no way," Pitino said, pausing a moment as if to catch his breath, "...I would like to be buried in Manhattan. If you're going to wake me please wake me there and bury me there. I'm never going to make it through this season with this group of guys. Oh boy, they're an exciting group and I have no idea what they are going to do next.
"But they work as hard as I've ever had a group work. They just keep working and working, coming after you and working and working, deflecting and running. I'm really, really proud of them. They're a fun group to coach, but they're absolutely crazy."
Miller led four Wildcat scorers in double figures, tallying 21 points. Junior Reggie Hanson had 19 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Next was Sean Woods with a UK career-high 18 point performance followed by a workhorse effort39 minutesfrom Feldhaus with 13 points and seven boards.
State, trying to keep up in this run-and-gun affair, was paced by guard Doug Hartsfield and All-SEC forward Cameron Burns with
MSU-UK ITEMS NOT TO GO UNNOTICED
 Walkon Nehemiah Braddy checked in for seven minutes and tallied seven points, including a short jumper ignited by an elusive fake inside.
 Jeff Brassow came off the bench to add nine points and eight rebounds.
 MSU shot a red-hot 68.6 percent from the field (24 of 35) in the second half.
 Rick said it. Coach Rick Pitino about if he is more pleased than ever to be in Lexington: "Whether we win a game or not, I made my decision and I'll never look back on leaving New York. That just tells you how much I love Kentucky. I think this is a very special place, I absolutely love it. If you'd get some restaurants I'd be in Utopia."
24 and 22 points, respectively. Also in double figures for the 3-1 Bulldogs were Carter (19 points and a game-high 11 boards) and Tony Watts (18 points), son of former NBA standout guard Slick Watts.
"I'm not sure that these were the two best teams in the conference," Williams said, "but I am sure that no two teams will play harder against each other. Kentucky displayed as much effort as I have ever seen."
Outscored by seven three-point goals (Factor I), Mississippi State can point to several other areas sending it to its first loss:
^Factor II. Turnovers...too many committed by MSU and not enough by UK.
MSU, troubled by the "Cats' press, was suiltv of 22 turnovers. Pitino's racehorse
offense turned the ball over only 13 times.
"We guarded the ball poorly, and were unable to control Woods," Williams said. "Our press in three games has been, for guys that have only been with it a month, magnificent," Pitino praised. "The changing of the presses has been magnificent."
In its game against Indiana, UK forced the Hoosiers into 25 mistakes while committing 15. Continued improvement in all phases has Pitino smiling. But it's the outmanned club's defensive pressure that he's most proud of.
Factor III comes from a position that wasn't expected to blossom so soon.
^Outstanding play from the point. Pitino praised the steller and improved play (Continued on page 26)
OFFICIAL NCAA BASKETBALL BOX SCORE
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TOTAL FG %: 1st Half . 3-Pt. FGX:1st Halt _ FT X: 1st Ha!t__
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	TEAM REBOUNDS (included In Totals)									_ .a		
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A I TO iBLKi  S I MIN,
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	UK-Miss. St. play-by-play			
	Time	Kentucky	Score	Miss. St.
	19:56	Woods layup	2-0	
	J18:43	Woods 10 ft.	4-0	
	17:22		4-2	Carter putback
	17:00		44	Nichols 12 ft.
	16:35	Hanson 20 ft.	7-4	
	16:04		7-5	Nichols FT, FTA
	15:08		7-7	Carter putback
	14:42		7-9	Bums 6 ft.
	14:21	Miller 12 ft.	9-9	
	13:56	Pelphrey 20 ft.	12-9	
	13:41		12-11	Bums 8 ft. bank
	13:07	Miller 21 ft.	15-11	
	11:18		15-12	Burns FT, FTA
	|l0:57	Miller 22 ft	18-12	
	10:40		18:14	Burns 10 ft
	10:17		18-16	Carter 12 ft. bank
	9:40	Braddy 8 ft.	20-16	
	j 9:30		20-17	Burns FT, FTA
	1 9:14	Brassow 6 ft follow	22-17	
	6:50		22-18	Burns FT, FTA
	6:33	Hanson 15 ft.	24-18	
	5:56		24-20	Hartsfield FT, FT
	5:11		24-22	Nichols 10 ft
	4:59	Miller 18 ft.	26-22	
	1 4:50	Miller 30 ft.	29-22	
	1 4:30	Brassow FT. FT	31-22	
	J 4:29		31-24	Hartsfield, FT, FT
	3:48		31-26	Hartsfield layup
	3:34	Miller FT, FT	33-26	
	3:29		33-28	Burns dunk
	3:01	Hanson FT FTA	34-28	
	2:11	Feldhaus FT, FT	36-28	
	1:28	Braddy 20 ft.	39-28	
	1:06		39-31	Woodard 20 ft.
	:26	Woods FT, FTA	40-31	
	:04		40-33	Hartsfield 8 ft.
	HALF		40-33	
	19:10		40-35	Burns tip in
	18:56	Feldhaus 22 ft	43-35	
	18:40		I43-3C	.          Bums FTA. FT
	18:14		4V	Nichols dunk
17:31		Hanson FT, FTA	46-3 147-38	
	17:09 Feldhaus FT, FT		49-38	
	16:44		49-10	Carter 8 ft.
	16:10	49-42		Carter follow layup
	16:01	Brassow 20 ft.	52-42	
	15:46		52-43	Smith FTA, FT
	15:39 Woods layup		54^13	
	15:05	Miller 24 ft.	57-41	
	14:48	57-45		Hartsfield 6 ft.
	14:45: Miller 22 tt.		60-45	
	14:15	Hanson FT, FTA	61-45	
	14:06		61-48	Watts 16 ft., FT
	13:561 Woods FT, FT		63^181	
	13:34	: 63-50.		Hartsfield 15 ft.
	13:15 ! Hanson 22 ft.		66-5C	
	12:39] Farmer layup, FT		69-5C	
	12:23 Brassow layup		71-50	
	12:12		71-51	Watts, FT, FTA
	11:53		71-53	Burns 6 ft.
	11:40	Braddy, 4 ft.	73-51	
	11:30		73-56	Watts 21 ft.
	11:09		73-58	Watts 3 ft.
	10:50	Hanson FT, FT	75-5	
	9:53	Woods layup	77-58	
	9:41		77-60	Hartsfield FT, FT
	9:16		77-62	Carter follow layup
	8:33	Woods 12 ft. bank	79-62	
	7:58		79-64	Watts 8 ft.
	7:28		79-66	Watts FT, FT
	6:40		81-68	Burns layup
	6:08		81-70	Carter 12 ft.
	5:37	Hanson FT, FT	83-70	
	5:26		83-73	Merritt 21 ft.
	4:58		83-75	Burns follow layup
	4:38	Woods 10 ft.	85-75	
	4:19-		85-78	Hartsfield 12 ft., FT
	3:45	Pelphrey 4 ft	8778	
	3:38		87-80	Burns dunk
	3:12	Pelphrey 21 ft.	90-80	
	2:20	Woods 6 ft.	92-8C	
	1:58		92-82	Hartsfield FT, FT
	1:27	Farmer layup	94-82	
	1:15		94-85	Hartsfield 22 ft.
	:51		94-8S	Watts 20 ft.
	:49	Hanson FT, FTA	95-8E	
	:40		95-91	Carter 21 ft.
	:38	Woods FT, FTA	96-91	
	:24	Feldhaus dunk	98-91	
	:18		98-9:	Watts layup
	:13	Feldhaus FT, FT	100-9:	
	:08		100-9!	Hartsfield 8 ft bank
	:02	Farmer FT, FT	102-9:	
	:01		102-9:	Carter dunk
	FINAL		102-95	
	? 7CP chart			
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