SEASON REVIEW
Kentucky 74, Mississippi State 56 (Jan. 9, 1996) Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum)!:  Attendance: 10,315
Against the team predicted to win the SEC's Western Division, the No. 2-ranked Wildcats unveiled a stingy defense which held the league's top big man, Erick Dampier, to 4-7 from the field and 14 points for the game. Kentucky meanwhile used a 15-0 run in the second period to roll to its 11th consecutive victory of the season, 74-56, over No. 12 Mississippi State.
The first half was a defensive display by both teams as UK shot 31.6 percent from the field and MSU shot 31.8 percent. Kentucky led 32-24 at the break.
After a 6-0 run by MSU that closed the Cats' lead to 41-38 with 12:41 remaining, Kentucky scored 15 straight points, ignited by an Anthony Epps three-pointer. Derek Anderson added nine points during the run as the Cats put the game out of reach.
Anderson finished with 12 points off the bench and Antoine Walker led UK with 16 points and nine boards. Darryl Wilson was the game's high scorer, finishing with 19 points including five three-pointers.
Kentucky	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO		1!	S TP
Ron Mercer	2-7	2-3	2-3	2	1 1	1	I	0 8
Antoine Walker	7-22	0-2	2-2	9	1 2	3	0	0 16
Walter McCarty	3-4	2-3	2-2	7	2 I	0	1	1 10
Anthony Epps	3-6	1-4	0-0	1	3 3	1	0	2 7
Tony Delk	4-9	0-2	1-1	5	4 3	1	0	5 9
Allen Edwards	0-0	043	0-0	1	0 0	0	0	0 0
Wayne Turner	1-4	0-1	2-2	1	4 0	0	0	2 4
Derek Anderson	4-8	3-5	1-1	1	3 1	3	1	0 12
Mark Pope	3-5	2-2	0-2	5	1 1	,	1	0 8
Team				3		1		
Totals	27-6510-22		10-13	35 18 12		12	4 10 74	
Miss. State	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO B			S TP
Dontae Jones	4-8	2-2	0-0	5	4 3	9	1	1 10
Russell Walters	2-8	0-0	1-2	4	4 0	2	0	0 5
Erick Dampier	4-7	043	6-11	14	3 3	7	5	0 14
Marcus Bullard	0-6	0-4	1-2	7	2 4	3	0	0 1
Darryl Wilson	5-12	5-9	4-4	5	2 2	3	0	2 19
Whit Hughes	1-3	0-0	2-4	4	1 0	2	0	0 4
Bubba Wilson	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	2 0	0	0	0 0
Ban Hyche	1-3	1-1	0-0	0	0 0	0	0	0 3
Tyrone Washington 0-1		0-0	0-0	1	0 0	0	0	0 0
Team				4		:		
Totals	28-70 4-11		19-28 40 20 11			28	2	7 56
Halftime: UK 32, MSU 24; FG %: UK 41.5, MSU 34.7; 3FG%: UK 45.5, MSU 50.0; FT%: UK 76.9, MSU 60.9; Officials: Rutledge, Hillary, Shaw. Technicals: none.
"You can have all the talent and depth in the world. Take those things away? They still play hard. The best thing a real good team can do is play hard."
Coach Kevin O'Neill, Tennessee
Kentucky 61, Tennessee 44 (Jan. 13, 1996) Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)   Attendance: 24,247
Battling 7-0 Steve Hamer and three bouts of stomach virus, the second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats recorded their 12th consecutive win while remaining unbeaten in SEC play with a 61-44 win over the Volunteers in Lexington.
Tony Delk and Ron Mercer both missed practice the day before due to the illness but still managed to start the game for the Wildcats. Delk led all scorers with 15 points and Mercer added seven points and four rebounds. Derek Anderson also came down with the bug just before tip-off but still played 14 minutes, scoring seven points and picking up five steals.
The Cats shot 47.8 percent in the first half en route to a 33-22 lead at the half. But the second half was a different story. Kentucky connected on only 8-29 shots from outside for 27.6 percent, as the Cats finished the night shooting 36.5 percent.
With the Cats' defensive pressure running on high, UK forced the Vols into 29 turnovers and, for the second time this season, held an opponent to less than 50 points. Tennessee shot 32.6 percent from the field, but it did outrebound the Cats 40-36. Brandon Wharton scored 11 points to pace Tennessee while Hamer added nine points and 12 rebounds.
Tennessee	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO B				S TP
Damon Johnson	2-4	0-0	5-8	6	3	1	7	0	3 9
Brandon Wharton	4-11	1-5	2-4	6	3	2	7	0	1 11
Shane Williams	1-2	0-1	0-0	6	4	2	6	0	1 2
Steve Hamer	3-15	0-0	3-12	12	2	2	3	1	1 9
Toney Harris	0-2	043	1-2	4	1	0	1	0	0 1
Aaron Green	2-5	1-4	2-2	1	5	1	3	0	1 7
Scott Moore	1-1	00-0	0-0	2	2	0	0	1	0 2
Rashard Lee	1-3	1-2	0-0	0	2	0	1	0	0 3
Team				3					
Totals	14-43 3-12		13-28 40 22				29	2	7 44
Kentucky	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO			B	S TP
Antoine Walker	2-14	0-2	2-8	-	1	-	1		0 6
Ron Mercer	2-5	1-2	2-3	4	1	1	0	0	1 7
Walter McCarty	4-7	1-3	3-4	1	5	0	8	2	1 12
Tony Delk	5-8	1-3	4-4	2	2	1	4	0	3 15
Anthony Epps	0-0	0-0	0-0	4	0	1	2	0	1 0
Allen Edwards	0-0	0-0	2-2	1	2	4	0	0	0 2
Mark Pope	1-4	0-1	1-2	3	5	1	0	0	3 3
Wayne Turner	2-3	0-0	24	1	1	1	0	0	3 6
Derek Anderson	2-6	0-4	3-4	2	1	1	0	0	5 7
Oliver Simmons	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	0 0
Na:r Mohammed	1-3	0-0	1-2	1	2	0	0	0	0 3
Jeff Sheppard	0-1	0-1	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	0 0
Team				0					
Totals	19-52	3-16	20-33 36 21 14				15	5	15 61
Halftime: UK 33, UT 22; FG%: UT 32.6, UK 36.5; 3FG% UT 25.0, UK 18.8; FT%: UT 46.4, UK 60.6; Officials: Clougherty, Cahill, Guardiola. Technicals: none.
Kentucky 129, LSU 97 (Jan. 16, 1996)
Baton Rouge, La. (Maravich Assembly Center) Si Attendance: 12,684
In a record-setting performance, the Kentucky Wildcats jumped out to an 86-42 halftime lead en route to a 129-97 victorv in Baton Rouge.
UK, returning for the first time to the site of its 31 -point comeback in 1994, used a smothering defense and accurate shooting to score the first eight points of the game. The intensity remained unrelenting as the Cats rolled to an 86-42 halftime lead, setting a new school and SEC record for most points in a half. It was also the 13th most points ever scored in a half during an NCAA game, the filth most in the lirst half.
Antoine Walker was the biggest benefactor for UK in the opening period. The sophomore set a new career scoring high by pouring in 28 points in the half. He finished with 32 for the game on 16-20 shooting from the field. The Cats, who shot 67.3 percent from the field in the first period, also forced 21 turnovers and picked up 16 steals in the first 20 minutes. The Cats' scoring was so prolific in the first half, they rang up 4.3 points per minute.
With the lopsided score at half, every Wildcat that made the trip played at least four minutes and all scored. Six Cats scored in double figures and the unselfish visitors also rang up 33 assists in the contest, which equaled the school record set the year before against Mount St. Mary's in the NCAA Tournament. The 129 points scored in the game was also the second most ever scored by the Wildcats.
LSU was led in scoring by Ronnie Henderson's 22 points and Maurice Carter's 20.
Kentucky	FG 3FG		FT	R	F A TO B				S TP
Derek Anderson	5-9	1-2	2-2	1	0	3	0	0	3 13
Antoine Walker	16-20	0-1	0-0	8	2	4	2	1	3 32
Walter McCarty	3-3	2-2	0-0	5	4	1	2	3	2 8
Tony Delk	4-10	2-5	4-5	5	1	5	3	0	3 14
Wayne Turner	5-6	0-0	0-0	1	3	3	1	1	3 10
Allen Edwards	2-5	1-3	2-2	0	0	1	1	0	2 7
Nazr Mohammed	2-7	0-0	5-10	7	3	2	5	0	2 9
Jeff Sheppard	3-6	3-5	2-2	2	1	2	0	0	2 11
Cameron Milk	04)	0-0	2-2	0	1	0	0	0	0 2
Anthony Epps	0-2	0-2	2-3	4	5	11	3	0	0 2
Ron Metcer	4-8	1-3	6-7	3	1	1	4	0	0 15
Mark Pope	1-2	0-0	0-0	1	2	0	2	0	0 2
Oliver Simmons	2-3	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	1	0	0 4
Team				5					
Totals 47-8110-23			25-33 42 25 33 24					5 20 129	
LSU	FG 3FG		FT	R	F A TO B				S TP
Deuce Ford	2-7	0-1	4-5	6	2	1	2	1	0 8
Duane Spencer	4-9	1-1	1-3	2	2	1	7	2	1 10
Roman Rubchenko	4-9	1-3	8-12	6	5	1	4	1	2 17
Ronnie Henderson	8-17	1-5	5-7	3	1	0	5	0	3 22
Randy Livingston	0-2	0-0	0-0	5	1	5	5	0	1 0
Gene Nabors	1-6	0-3	0-0	3	0	3	0	0	2 2
Landers Nolley	0-2	0-0	0-2	1	1	2	0	0	0 0
David Bosley	0-1	0-1	2-2	1	0	3	0	0	0 2
Maurice Carter	8-13	2-5	24	3	1	1	4	0	0 20
Nick Sheppard	04)	04)	0-0	1	4	0	2	1	0 0
Rogers Washington	6-10	1-3	1-3	9	2	1	1	0	3 14
Misha Mutavdzic	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0 0
Adam Walton	1-2	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	1 2
Ganick Scott	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	1	0	0 0
Team				3					
Totals 34-78 6-22 23-38 47 21 18 31  5 13 97
Halftime: UK 86, LSU 42; FG%: UK 58.0, LSU 43.6; 3FG%: UK 43.5, LSU 27.3; FT%: UK 75.8, LSU 60.5; Officials: Bun, Scagliotta, Hening. Technicals: LSU Bench.