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A Real Classic - 'Cats V
By Nick Nicholi
INDIANAPOLIS  You could say they saved the best for last. No. 2 ranked Kentucky, 3-0, outscored No. 5 Indiana 11-5 in overtime to turn back the Hoosiers 82-76 in the nightcap of last Saturday's Big Four Classic.
Notre Dame and Louisville kicked off the inaugural event, in which the Irish embarrassed Denny Crum's Cardinals by a 69-54 count. Once those two teams cleared the court it was time for Eddie Sutton's Wildcats and Bobby Knight's Hoosiers to put on a classic of their own.
What the 43.601 on hand at the Hoosier Dome and a nationally-televised audience witnessed was a script made for late March. Physically and emotionally the game was what you would expect from a typical Kentucky-Indiana matchupa battle fought to the wire.
There were outstanding defensive efforts turned in by representatives of each squad. The widest margin in the first half belonged to the 'Cats, while the Hoosiers enjoyed as much as a six-point lead in the second stanza. Just as the momentum shifted back and forth between the two teams for the entire 45 minutes, blue and red seas were swishing back and forth with each basket.
And along with the usual cast, in the end an unlikely hero would emerge to save the Wildcats from defeat in the second half.
Indiana, 2-1, dramatically sent the game into the extra period as freshman Jay Edwards grabbed a missed shot and hit a 10-footer just before the final buzzer. Edward's game-tying connection came six seconds after Rob Lock missed the front of a bonus opportunity.
Happiness on the Indiana side. Dejection on the UK bench.
"We thought we had the game won," noted Ed Davender, whose team led 71-67 with 25 seconds remaining. "Then, Jay Edwards hit a big-time shot. So that surprised us a little bit. . .We just needed some time to recuperate. We showed a lot of composure in overtime and took control of the game."
UK, indeed, regrouped and outscored its opponent 11-5 in the final five minutes. Kentucky went ahead to stay when Chapman let loose a three-pointer at the 1:57 mark, giving UK a 78-76 lead.
"That's one of those shots that I'm sure has occured many times in the coaching professionOh no, oh no. . .heckuva shot, Rex. He's a thoroughbred. A winner."
Knight Agrees. . .Rex's Bomb Knocks Out IU
Over on the Indiana side, Knight, too, related to the media that Chapman's shot began the downward descent for the defending national champs.
'We got a free throw," said the Indiana coach, commenting on the beginning of overtime. "Obviously, that's a good way to get it started. Then we just couldn't convert some things and they made some good plays. I thought one of their really key plays was the last three-point shot they made. That took us from a point ahead to two points down. "We just couldn't get back on top of it." After Chapman's three-point connection, Indiana had a chance to even the score at the 1:31 mark, but Keith Smart missed the front end of a bonus situation.
UK claimed to the ball and a two-point margin when it called time out with 1:00 left.
The game plan came down to this for the Wildcats: Be patient. Meanwhile, IU's Steve Eyl didn't follow the script. Eyl, who gave Chapman fits all afternoon, was the prime suspect, stripping Chapman of possession. Moments later Chapman returned the fayor. "I knew that they had to get a basket," said Chapman, who along with backcourt teammate Ed Davender combined for 42 points. "I saw Keith (Smart) taking off to the middle. Ed was putting great pressure on him and all of sudden he just lost it. I saw it and tore after it. I saw Richard flashing and just got it to him. "He took care of the rest."
Leading a two-on-one fast break, Madison raced to the basket and slammed home his only two points of the game. Indiana then failed on a three-point attempt, as Madison then snared one of his six defensive boards.
Jenkins' Contributions Put 'Cats Over Hump
While Kentucky's starting guards were outscoring Smart and Eyl 42-5, the Hoosiers' inside attack was supplying plenty of ammunition.
Forward Rick Calloway poured in a game-high 26 points, 14 of which helped stake his team to a 38-36 halftime edge. Center Dean Garrett poured in 20 points despite having problems from the fieldeight of 24. Winston Bennett and Rob Lock, considered to be UK's 1-2 scor-
ing punch from inside, carried three fouls each heading into intermission. Lock countered Garrett's total with a 14-point, eight-rebound performance. Bennett, UK's most experienced warrior in the paint, added 10 points before fouling out with 6:11 remaining.
Let's not forget Cedric Jenkins. Eddie Sutton surely won't.
Trailing 48-46 midway through the second-half, the Kentucky coach sent his troops back on the court after a television timeout. Sutton, with a hand on his head, turned to assistant James Dickey and said, "We just can't get over the hump."
Earlier, Sutton was lucky he wasn't down in the valley, because Indiana was riding a 46-40 advantage. Thanks to Davender (14-footer), Lock (two free throws), and Jenkins (10-fboter), though, UK was tied with Indiana at 46-all.
Almost on cue, Jenkins, who roamed outside the paint free of defensive pressure, almost single-handedly propelled the Wildcats over the imaginary hump.
First, the 6-foot-8 forward drilled a 10-footer in the lane to give UK a 50-49 lead. On the other end of the court, he soared to pull down an Edwards' misfire. Gaining confidence with each turn of event, Jenkins wasn't through. Grabbing an offensive board. Jenkins laid in another basket, giving UK a 52-49 advantage.
Jenkins was at it again. A Garrett jumper pulled the Hoosiers within one, but Davender sank two free throws to give UK back its three-point advantage. Then "Swoop" proceeded to take a page out of the playing-at-both-ends chapter.
Defensively, he smacked away a Garrett attempt. Offensively, he took the IU center down low, baited him with a fake and slipped past the taller Garrett for an easy basket.
Yes, for a moment, UK was over the hump with a 56-51 margin.
And if not for Jenkins' four free throws to open the overtime period, the Wildcats may have been the ones still looking to climb over the hump. He ended the afteroon with 14 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
"Jenkins played very well." said Knight. "I don't think he missed a shot. He handled the ball well for them without making any turnovers. He was a major factor in their play."
Hot Hoosiers Can't Break Away
Looking for an extra edge to put breathing room between themselves and the Wildcats, the Hoosiers unloaded 29 shots and hit on 15. With Chapman (two of seven from the field) being har-rassed by Eyl, and UK hitting a 41.9 percent from the field, one would figure Indiana to be on top by more than two at halftime.
The key to Kentucky staying close in the first 20 minutes was Davender. Not only did he pace the team in the scoring department (11), but he held Smart, last year's NCAA hero, to just two points in the first half.
Overall, Smart, under the watchful eye of Davender, produced only five points in 27 minutes of work. Davender also accounted for four assists and one steal.
"Eddie (Davender) and I kinda have a little standing joke going in that everytime we put him on someone we say, 'Eddie, we gotta shut him down tonight,' and he does it," said assistant Jimmy Dykes. "He did it to (Roger) McClendon of Cincinnati and he did it to Smart today."
Joe Hillman and Edwards proved to be an added spark off Knight's bench. The 6-2 guard made up for Smart's dismal showing by adding seven points and three rebounds in seven minutes of work. Edwards gave his team the lead at halftime when he was in position for the offensive board and putback at the buzzer.
Wildcat-Hoosier Tidbits
Indiana's top two offensive playersDean Garrett and Keith Smartcombined for a horrendous 10 of 33 from the field. . .Counting the game against the Russians, the Wildcats have been the victims of four straight buzzer-beaters at the end of the first half. . .For only the second time since Oct. 15, Eddie Sutton gave his team the day off, Sunday after the win over Indiana. . .Kentucky finished the game hitting on 25 of 57 field goals (43.9 percent), compared to Indiana's 29 of 68 (42.6 percent). . .From the When It Counted DepartmentUK hit on 50 percent (two of four) from the field in overtime, while Indiana connected on 14.3 (one of seven) percent of its shots. . .What was going on in the huddle as the Wildcats prepared for overtime? "We were down because we kin-da gave it away," said Sean Sutton, who did not play. "They came back on us when we thought we had it won. The coaching staff and players felt pretty confident that we were going to win the game. We just needed to establish ourselves and everything would work out." . Jimmy Dykes on the play of Cedric Jenkins: "I think experience, for Cedric, finally told him, 'Hey, Winston's (Bennett) out of the game and he wasn't playing well.' We kept preaching to
Master Blaster Slams DoonOn H
him in the huddles that we have to control the boards. Cedric n to the occasion. That's something he has to do when a Winsi Bennett or a Rex'Chapman are having a little bit of an off-nig He took the challenge and faced it head on." . . .Derrick Mill who didn't play against Cincinnati, checked in during the secc half and pulled down two big defensive boards.  jIU's ber outscored Kentucky's 17-2. . .Besides Winston Bennett, UK's R Lock and Indiana's Rick Calloway, Dean Garrett andJoeHillm fouled out. . .Here're Bennett's comments when askqd if he v have trouble getting up for the Louisville Cardinals, jwho earl were thumped by Notre Dame: "It won't be, especiallypince I sp most of the time on the bench.". . .An Interesting Quote: On wr asked if he liked his chances any better when Winston Bennett fou out with 6:11 left in the game with the score tied at 59-all, Knij said: "What were they going to do? Play four players?"