PAGE 26   THE CATS'  PAUSE, DECEMBER 18, 1976
Five Wildcats Hit Double Figures
Cats Dedicate Arena With 90-63 Bombing Of Kansas
The Goose In Action
CELEBRA TE NEW YEAR'S EVE IN A TLANTA
Ballroom Gala - $49.00 per couple (gratuity included)
 Complete prime rib dinner
 Bottle of champagne
 Free bar til midnight
 Dancing to the music of the Sharon Kite Quintet
or
Relax and enjoy a quiet dinner. Complete with a complimentary glass of champagne and favors. Retire to the garden and dance to the mellow sounds of Peggy Stewart and the Randy Moss Duo. Make your reservations now.
Ring out the old year... Ring in the new!
Celebrate New Year's Eve at Top of the Mart featuring two ways to enjoy the coming of 1977.
TopoftheMart
240 Peachtree Street, N.W./688-8650
Stouffer's and American Express credit cards honored.
With six players scoring in double figures and spiced with several dunks, Kentucky's Wildcats christened the new Rupp Arena with a 90-63 bombing of previously undefeated Kansas Saturday night before 23,107 fans, including Adolph Rupp.
Coach Joe B. Hall's charges set the stage for an exciting halftime ceremonies when the Wildcats bolted out to a 20-point lead late in the first half.
Kansas, unbeaten in five consecutive starts this season, was just no match for the Wildcats, at least not on this special occasion.
"It was a great game for us," commented Hall after the battle, "we wanted this win very badly.
UK led in the early going, 26-12 and never looked back. In the massacre, Kansas lost one of its starters even before the half. Ken Koenigs, who was taken out midway in the first half with four fouls, was put back in with some eight minutes left before intermission. He fouled out with only seven minutes of playing time. He had been averaging 10 points per game.
On the other end, Kentucky's play was near perfection. And everybody got into the act.
Jack Givens led the point parade with 15 followed by James Lee with 14, and Rick Robey and substitute Dwane Casey with 13 each. Mike Phillips had 12 points and Larry Johnson pumped in 10. Of the starters, only freshman Jay Shidler failed to hit double figures. He scored five points but saw only 17 minutes playing time, spending the rest on the bench with four fouls.
"James played great, and Casey went in and played his best game," Hall summed up later, "Phillips and Robey both did well inside. Givens played great, and Johnson did a good job. His shot selection in the second half was particularly good."
"James' play was sensational when he brought it all the way up and dunked it," said the coach, "he played very well tonight."
"Our defensive play tonight was tremendous," said Hall, "I thought it showed how we can play a man-to -man defense."
Kentucky stayed with its man-to -man defense until midway in the second half when the Cats had everything safely tucked away.
Hall also had some words of praise for team play.
"We've developed that squad unity we've been seeking," said Hall, "we're moving the ball better and we're finding the open man. That's what I like to see."
Losing Kansas coach Ted Owens,
who knew from early in the contest it was going to be a long evening, praised Kentucky as one of the best four or five clubs in the nation.
"There are four or five teams you could throw in a hat as being the best in the nation, and Kentucky has to be among them," said Owens.
"They have quickness, they're strong, they have depth and they can shoot it," said Owens, and of the defense, "purely from a coaching standpoint, I enjoyed watching them play the 1-3-1. They play it very well and very aggressively."
Was Owens' team awed by the spacious Rupp Arena?
"It's difficult to tell how much the home court advantage meant to them tonight, but Kentucky was obviously inspired. They played hard. It wasn't the building, but the pressure defense that caused us to lose our poise," he continued, "we've played in large arenas before."
Dunks from James Lee, Rick Robey and LaVon Williams repeatedly brought the UK fans to their feet. Lee's feat came after he took a rebound at the other end of the floor, drove the entire distance and waded through two defenders to slam the ball through a helpless rim. From the last thirty feet, it was anticipation all the way.
Kentucky had an averaged Wildcat shooting night, hitting fifty percent of its field goal attempts, 34 of 68. At the free throw line, the Wildcats had a so-so exhibition, canning 22 of 33 for 166.7 percent.
Kansas hit only 25 of 64 from the field for 39.1 percent and 13 of 23 from the charity strip for 56.5 percent.
The Jayhawks outrebounded Kentucky 46-42 as Donnie Van Moore led all players with 12. James Lee was tops for Kentucky with 7.
After Kentucky took the 48-27 intermission lead, Kansas fought back and sliced the score to 54-41 with 14:31 left in the final half.
That's when Lee ordered up his floor show and dunk. After that, it was all clear sailing.
Kentucky led by as much as 28, [82-54] before settling for the 90-63 win.
Lee said there was some pressure on the club, being the dedication game of the new Rupp Arena and the fact that Kentucky had won thirteen in a row.
"We wanted to open this thing up right and we wanted to continue the streak," said Lee, "I thought we played pretty well out there tonight."
That would have to be an understatement.