In the Big Four
Rebounding woes continue to haunt 'Cats as Digger Phelps'Irish subdue UK 81-65
By associate editor Nick Nicholas
INDIANAPOLISAs much as it may have hurt, 6-foot-7 tough guy Deron Feldhaus, sounding like a coach, immediately pointed to the origin of the Wildcats' dismal performance. "The thing that hurt us the worst was the board play," said the UK redshirt freshman, who learned a thing or two from his father and coach while at Mason County, Allen Feldhaus.
Notre Dame's 81-65 smooth sailing victory over Kentucky in the second game of last Saturday's Big Four stirred the already troubled waters of UK's progress.
"They outrebounded us 53-27," Feldhaus said. "There's no way you can win a ballgame when a team outrebounds you that much. . .Plus I don't think we played as hard as we have been."
Feldhaus and his teammates were coming off an impressive 89-71 victory over California. One wouldn't have expected such a lackluster performance coming from UK.
MAYBE JET LAG lag from the Alaska trip could have been the culprit of UK's poor showing at the Hoosier Dome. Maybe.
Maybe the Fighting Irish, led by Kevin Ellery and an impressive team effort on the boards, were the reason for the about-face play of the 'Cats. That's probably more like it.
If the name Ellery sounds familiar to Kentucky fans, it should. The 6-5 sophomore was an all-stater for Washington County a couple years back. Off the bench he inspired his Irish legion by scoring a team-high 15 points, which included four three pointers.
"Our kids call him the pit bull," said Digger Phelps about Ellery. "He had a bad back all week. But he has been shooting the three-
pointer well all fall and we want him to shoot that shot.
"Being from Springfield. I know that he was ready today and that this game was something extra special for him."
AND WHILE ELLERY was doing damage out on the perimeter, Notre Dame's inside strength, both offensively and defensively, was controlled by LaPhonso Ellis. Scott Paddock and Keith Robinson. Those three, who all stand 6-9, combined for 37 rebounds, 10 more than the Wildcats' final total.
Overall. Notre Dame manhandled Kentucky on the boards 53 to 27. Looking closer at the board situation, UK allowed the Irish 25 offensive boards. No doubt that stat indicates why the winners were able to take 20 more shots (73-53).
LaPhonso Ellis, playing only in his second collegiate game, leaped over, around and behind players for a game-high 16 boards. He also was credited with 12 points and three steals. Paddock and Robinson pulled down 11 and 10, respectively. Robinson came off the bench to score 13 points, too.
"They are pretty big inside and we weren't blocking out," Feldhaus noted. "I think they just wanted the ball worse than we did."
LERON ELLIS and Derrick Miller were the only two players for Eddie Sutton's team to reach double figures. UK's Ellis, who did not start because of a bout with the flu, scored a game-high 22 points while Miller added 15.
But it was all in vain as Kentucky found itself behind by 13 at halftime.
"They are a strong rebounding ballclub," said Sutton in his postgame press conference. "But we certainly didn't do a very good job of screening them off the glass."
Following an excellent lesson in fast pace transition when Sean Sutton quickly passed
to Chris Mills who immediately hit Miller for a baseline jumper. Kentucky trailed 24-19. After a Robinson free throw increased the lead to five. Notre Dame regained possession when Mike Scott missed the first of three consecutive short turnaround jumpers.
"We got some good shots in the first half," Sutton said. "We just didn't shoot 'em very well."
(Media timeout: Mills proved to be an exception to Sutton's latter statement. It wasn't because Mills shot poorly. Not at all. Due to Notre Dame's over-shadowing defense Mills took and made just one shot).
MOMENTS AFTER SCOTT'S miss LaPhanso Ellis grabbed an offensive board and drilled a 10-foot baseline jumper.
It was a sign of things to come.
The next time Notre Dame had the ball it had four opportunities to produce one basket. And when Robinson finally cashed in on the fourth try at the 5:19 mark the Irish were in front 29-19.
Following a Reggie Hanson free throw. Ellery let one fly from three-point land on the left side. His third three-pointer of the game gave the squad from South Bend a surprising 12-point cushion (32-20).
"This team is hard to predict." said Phelps of his club. . .Our kids prepare well, they listen and tonight they went out and executed the game plan."
Kentucky was able to cut the 12-point deficit to eight on the strength of two field goals by LeRon Ellis, the second resulting in a goaltending infraction.
THEN NOTRE DAME slammed shut any possible thoughts of a Kentucky rally. First, two misses by the Irish didn't deny Paddock.
(Continued on page 38)
OFFICIAL NCAA BASKETBALL BOX SCORE: Date! VISITORS   (Last  Name, First)		12-03-88 Site:				Indianado1 is.			Indiana					
1 1 INO. 1 Kentucky	ITol_._Ffil3.rE0J Nil 1      1      1 .__B*bQurid*_J IFQ  1FGA1FG  1FQA1 ft  1FTA1 off 1DEF1 tot 1						1        1 1 PF   1 tp II		1 1 1 1	1        I 1 A  IT0 IBLKI			1 1 .SI MINI	
135   1 HANSON, Reajie	1        11101       01 01	7 1	8 1	3 1	4 1	7 1	1 1	3 1 1	1 i	1 1	2 1	4 1	__3 L	
142  IMILLS, Chris	1    31    7 1    01 11	1 1	31	0 1	1 1	1 1	2 1	7 1 1	1 1	3 1	2 1	0 1	3 1	31 1
150  ISCOTT, Mike	1         11        4101 01	01	01	01	2 1	2 1	2 1	2 1 1	___M	1 1	0 1	3 1	0 1	16 1
104   1 MILLER, Derrick	1    61   101    21 21	1 1	31	__01	31	3 1	3 1	151 1	i I	1 1	2 1	0 1	0 1	32 1
120   1 SUTTON, Sean	1     11    51    01 11	01	1 1	01	2 1	21	3 1	2 ! 1	i i	4 1	4 1	0 1	2 1	31 1
125  1 ELL IS, LeRon	1    81111    01 01	6 1	10 1	2 1	21	4 1	1 1	22 1 1	i i	0 1	0 1	1 1	0 1	28 1
134   1 PELPHREY j John_..	1    21    31    01 01	0 1	01	1 1	1 1	2 1	2 1	4 1 1	i i	0 1	3 1	0 1	0 1	12 1
Tl2  1FELDHAUS, Deron	1        11       21       01 01	0 1	01	3 1	1 1	4 1	1 1	1 1	I i	11	2 1	0 1	0 1	" 6 1
132  1 FARMER, Richie	1        01         11        01 01	2 1	2 1	01	1 1	1 1	1 I	2 1 1	i i	0 1	01	01	0 1	_ JLL
133  1 DAVIS,Johnathan	I       01       0|       0| 0|	01	01	0 1	0 1	01	01	01 1	i i	0 1	01	01	0 1	1 1
1        ITEAM REBOUNDS   (INCLUDED  IN TOTALS)			1	1 1	1	1 1								1
i       1 TOTALS	1  23 1  531    21     4 1	17 1	27 1	101	17 1	27 1	161	651 1	i i	1 1 1	151	8 1	6 1	JL&.TlM	1        11        11       0 1       0 1	2 1	21	01	1 1	1 1	1 1	4 1 1	1 1	0 1	0 1	0 i	0 1	1 1
1        1 TEAM REBOUNDS   (INCLUDED  IN TOTALS)			1	1 I	1	1 1								1
1        1 TOTALS	1   341   731    41 121	31	14 1	__25 1	28 1	53 1	25 1	81 1 1	1	201	16 1	1 1	J II	2001
TOTAL FG         1st  HALF  18/40    45.0-/. 2nd HALF 3-POINT FG     1st  HALF    3/ 6    50.0'/. 2nd HALF FREE THROWS   1st  HALF     1/  3    33.3'/. 2nd HALF		16/33 1/ 6 8/ 1 1		48. 5* 1 6. 7V. 72. 7%	GAME GAME GAME		34/ 4/ 9/	73 12 14	46. 33. 64.	6% 3% 3-A	DEADBALL Rebounds			
OFFICIALS:  Paul Houseman, Technicals: None Attendance: 45.214	Peter Pavia,Larry	Rose		.- - *H	SCORE BY PERIODS Kentucky      27      38 = otre Dame-     40      41 						65 81			
UK-Notre Dame play-by-play			
Time	Kentucky	Score            Notre Dame	
|1B:38 17:55	j Mills layup	1 2-0 2-2	j Paddock follow layup
[17:09	| Miller FTA, FT	3-2	
!l6:53	Hanson layup	i 5-2	
15:57		5-4	Ellis 17 ft.
jl4:22		|5-7	Ellery 20 ft.
13:40 113:30 12:44 11:54	! Scott layup	1 7-7 7-9 9-11 9-13	Jackson 17 ft. Robinson 16 ft. Ellis dunk
!ll:30		] 9-15	Jackson 12 ft.
10:41	j Ellis FT, FT	| 11-15	
!10:36		I 11-18	Ellery 20 ft.
10:15	[Miller 18 ft.	13-18	
10:01		|13-20|        Robinson layup	
9:35		;15-2(	II         Pelphrey layup
J 8:52		j 15-22 Paddock follow layup	
8:09		115-241 Sweet alley oop dunk	
7:41	Hanson FT, FT	117-24	
7:16	Miller 8 ft.	J19-24J	
6:43		(19-25 "    Robinson FTA, FT	
! 6:15		Il9-27l       Ellis 6 ft. follow	
j 5:19		Jl9-29J           Robinson tip	
| 4:39	Hanson FT, FTA	J20-29J	
| 4:30		J20-32I             Ellery 20 ft.	
] 4:09	Ellis 10 ft.	22-32	
| 2:58	Ellis 14 ft.	|24-32|	
2:33		J24-34J   Paddock layup, FTA	
2:24		|24-36           Ellis tip dunk	
| 2:11	Ellis FT, FTA	J25-36J	
| 1:49 ! 1:35		J25-38J          Paddock dunk j2540;          Jackson layup	
0:27	Ellis layup, FTA	127-401	
HALF		27-40	
|19:17	Mills 17 ft.	29-40|	
18:48		29-42	Ellis follow layup.
18:16		29-44	Paddock dunk
17:54		29-46J        Singleton layup	
16:13	Ellis 6 ft., FT	32-461	
14:59		32-48	Frederick layup
|14:32	Ellis 10 ft.	34-48J .	
14:05	Miller 20 ft.	37-48	
113:11		37-51	Ellery 8 hook, FT
Il2:51		37-53	Robinson layup
11:46		37-56	Ellery 20 ft.
111:35	Miller 21 ft.	40-56	
10:53	Miller layup	42-56	
|10:34-		42-58	lackson 5 ft.
(10:12	Hanson FT, FT	44-58	
I 9:14		44-60	Robinson followlayup
8:32		44-62	Frederick 9 ft.
8:13		44-63	Singleton FTA, FT
7:12		44-65	Robinson followlayup
6:59	Mills FT, FTA	45-65	
6:53	Miller layup	47-65	
6:28	Mills layup, FTA	49-65	
6:18		49-67	Jackson FT, FT
5:44	Ellis 12 ft.	51-67	
5:25		51-69	Ellis alley oop layup
4:27		51-71	Jackson 18 ft.
4:07		51-73	Singleton layup
3:51	Ellis FT, FT	53-73	
3:26		53-75	Frederick 10 ft.
2:50		53-77	Frederick FT, FT
2:20	Ellis 8 ft.	55-77	
1:40	Hanson FT, FT	57-77	
1:25	Farmer FT, FT	59-77	
0:58		59-79	Crawford FT, FT
0:47	Ellis 5 ft.	61-79	
0:32		61-81	Crawford 15 ft.
0:18	Pelphrey follow layup	63-81	
0:07	Feldhaus 12 ft.	65-81	
FINAL		65-81	
Cats' Pause chart