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NCAA MIDWEST REGION FIRST ROUND
Kentucky 110, San Jose State 72 (March 14, 1996) Dallas, Texas (Reunion Arena) Es Attendance: 13,458
The Kentucky Wildcats used a 63-31 second half to roll to a 110-72 victory in the opening round of the Midwest Regional in Dallas.
The Cats actually trailed the unranked No. 16 seed late in the first half. After a layup by the Spartans' Tito Addison, SJS led by two, 37-35 with 4:37 remaining. UK then outscored the Spartans 12-4 at the end of the half to take a 47-41 lead. San Jose finished the first half shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the three-point line. The Spartans also outrebounded the Cats 21-15  yet they trailed by six.
After the break, it was all Kentucky. The Cats used a 26-10 mn midway through the period to balloon the lead from 66-54 with 11:58 remaining to 92-64 with 4:37 left. The Cats capped the explosive half by scoring the final 12 points of the game. The Spartans hit only 31.3 percent of their shots in the second half while UK lit up the nets at 58.1 percent. The teams battled to a draw on the boards, each finishing with 39 rebounds.
Walter McCarry equaled his career high with 24 points. Antoine Walker contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a career-high six steals.
San Jose State	FG	3FG	FT	1!	F A TO		1!	S TP
Olivier Saint-Jean	8-15	1-2	1-1	;	5 1	6	0	2 18
Sam Allen	4-10	1-2	6-10	6	3 0	4	1	0 15
Roy Hammonds	2-6	0-1	2-2	4	3 2	1	4	0 6
Tito Addison	6-11	3-4	1-1	2	3 3	6	0	1 16
Marmet Williams	0-5	0-0	0-2	9	3 3	3	0	2 0
Jahi Bacon	3-5	0-1	0-1	1	0 2	2	0	0 6
Rich Taylor	4-7	0-0	2-2	4	2 4	2	0	0 10
Danen Greene	0-1	0-0	1-2	3	0 1	I	0	0 1
Ken Kavanagh	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0 0	1	0	0 0
Team				3				
Totals	27-60 5-10		13-21	39 19 16		26	5	5 72
Kentucky	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO B			S TP
Detek Anderson	5-7	0-1	0-0	2	3 1	2	!	1 10
Antoine Walker	6-14	0-0	2-3	9	2 6	2	9	6 14
Walter McCarty	9-13	1-2	5-8	8	3 6	1	2	1 24
Tony Delk	8-15	4-8	2-3	1	1 2	1	0	0 22
Anthony Epps	3-4	34	0-0	2	1 7	0	0	6 9
Allen Edwards	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0 1	1	0	0 2
Wayne Turner	1-3	0-0	2-2	1	0 1	0	0	0 4
Jeff Sheppard	2-5	1-1	4-5	3	2 6	1	0	1 9
Ron Mercer	3-7	0-2	0-0	3	2 3	0	0	0 6
Mark Pope	3-7	0-0	2-2	6	4 2	1	4	1 8
Oliver Simmons	1-2	0-0	0-0	1	1 0	0	1	1 2
Team				3				
Totals	42-78 9-18		17-23 39 19 35			9	e	17110
Halftime: UK 47, SJS 41; FG%: SJS 45.0, UK 53.8; 3FG%: SJS 50.0, UK 50.0; FT%: SJS 61.9, UK 73.9; Officials: Cahill, SanFillipo, Green. Technicals: None.
"We got demoralized, and we kind of stood around watching that wonderful passing arid dunking and running and shooting. Arid the dam broke."
NCAA MIDWEST REGION QUARTERFINALS
Kentucky 84, Virginia Tech 60 (March 16, 1996) Dallas, Texas (Reunion Arena)  Attendance: 15,469
The second-ranked Wildcats took an 8-7 lead on a Ron Mercer dunk with 17:18 remaining in the first half and the Wildcats never trailed again, defeating Virginia Tech 84-60 in the second round of NCAA Tournament play in Dallas.
The No. 22-ranked Tech, seeded ninth in the Midwest, kept the game close in the first half, trailing only 38-30 at the break. But after Tech cut Kentucky's 12-point, second-half lead to seven, 45-38, with 15:18 remaining, the Gits turned the game into a dunk-fest. UK had nine slams in the second half alone as the Cats raced out to a 25-point lead.
Meanwhile, UK's defensive pressure held the Hokies to 39.3 percent shooting for the game. Hokie star Ace Custis finished the game with eight points and five rebounds, well below his season averages of 13.6 ppg and 9.6 rpg. UK also dominated the boards, outrebounding Tech 43-27.
Antoine Walker registered his ninth double-double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes. Walter McCarty continued his offensive sneak, scoring in double figures for the eighth consecutive game. He finished with 19 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Virginia Tech	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO			B	S TP
Ace Custis	3-7	0-1	2-3	5	2	0	3	:	3 S
Shawn Smith	5-10	043	34	3	2	3	3	l	0 13
Travis Jackson	2-4	1-2	04)	4	3	1	2	0	0 5
Damon Watlington 4-10		3-7	0-0	4	1	2	1	0	1 11
Shawn Good	2-9	0-2	1-4	4	3	1	2	0	0 5
Jim Jackson	2-6	1-3	2-2	3	3	1	0	0	0 7
David Jackson	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Troy Manns	3-7	0-2	2-2	0	2		4	0	0 8
Myron Guillory	1-2	043	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0 2
Keefe Matthews	0-1	0-0	1-3	1	0	0	0	1	0 1
Alvato Tor	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Team				3					
Totals	22-56 5-17		11-18 27 17 16				15	3	4 60
Kentucky	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO			B	S TP
Derek Anderson	3-5	1-1	1-2	4	i	:	2	0	0 8
Antoine Walker	8-15	1-1	4-7	11	1	4	2	1	1 21
Walter McCarty	7-9	2-3	3-3	3	2	4	4	0	1 19
Tony Delk	3-8	0-2	2-2	4	3	0	2	1	1 8
Anthony Epps	1-5	0-2	2-2	5	1	6	1	0	2 4
Allen Edwards	1-1	0-0	3-3	2	0	0	0	0	1 5
Wayne Turner	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	1	0	1 0
Jeff Sheppard	1-3	0-0	0-0	4	3	1	2	0	0 2
Cameron Mills	0-0	043	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Ron Mercer	4-7	0-0	0-0	2	3	1	0	0	1 8
Mark Pope	4-6	1-1	0-0	3	3	1	0	0	1 9
Oliver Simmons	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Team				5					
Totals	32-60	5-10	15-19 43 19 20				14	2	9 84
Halftime: UK 38, VT 30; FG%: VT 39.3, UK 53 3- 3FG%-VT 29.4, UK 50.0; FT%: VT 61.1, UK 78.9; Officials: Rucker, Chrisman, Hartzell. Technicals: None.
NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Kentucky 101, Utah 70 (March 21, 1996) Minneapolis, Minn. (HHH Metrodome) 58 Attendance: 30,334
The Kentucky Wildcats made quick work of the Utes from Utah, jumping out to a 56-34 halftime lead en route to a Midwest Region semifinal win, 101-70, in Minneapolis.
In the decisive first half, UK shot 51.1 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from the behind the three-point line while Antoine Walker and Anthony Epps led the Cats with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Epps' offensive shooting -three three-pointers in the first 3:02 of the half -- gave the region's top seed an 11-4 lead.
The rest of the Cats soon joined the shot parade, sinking 13 consecutive shots midway through the period. A Derek Anderson layup started the roll, which gave UK a 15-7 lead with 15:13 remaining. Ron Mercer concluded the hot streak with an 18-foot jumper with 10:26 remaining to give UK a 40-19 lead. Oliver Simmons contributed in the spurt with his first career three-pointer. Even more impressive was UK's defense, which held the Utes to 25 field goal attempts (making only 11). The Gits had 45, converting 23.
The second half saw the deeper Cats extend their lead to 32 points after Epps hit a layup with 9:26 remaining that gave UK an 82-49 lead.
Walker finished with a team-high 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Anderson tied his career-high with 18 points while Tony Delk and Epps both finished with 14 points.
Utah	FG 3FG		FT	R	F A TO B				S TP
Keith Van Horn	8-15	1-3	6-6	8	1	1	1	0	1 23
Brandon Jessie	2-10	0-2	043	4	1	1	4	0	1 4
Michael Doleac	3-7	0-0	3-5	8	3	0	3	3	0 9
Ben Caton	9-10	3-3	1-1	2	1	4	1	1	1 22
Andre Miller	1-3	0-0	0-1	4	2	9	6	1	2 2
Mark Rydlach	14	0-1	0-0	0	1	2	2	0	0 2
Ben Melmeth	1-3	04)	2-2	4	1	0	0	0	0 4
Drew Hansen	1-2	0-0	0-0	2	3	1	0	0	0 2
Will Carlton	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	0	0	0 0
Andy Jensen	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Paul Jonas	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 2
Doug Meacham	0-0	04)	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0 0
Kelly Leonard	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0 0
Doug Chapman	04)	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Tern' Preston	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	0	1	0	0 0
Team				7					
Totals	27-57 4-10		12-15 40 16 18 21					5	5 70
Kentucky	FG	3FG	FT	R	F A TO B				S TP
Derek Anderson	5-9	0-1	8-8	6	3	1	0	0	1 18
Antoine Walker	9-18	0-1	1-1	8	1	6	0	1	1 19
Walter McCarty	1-3	04)	0-0	4	2	2	1	1	1 2
Tony Delk	6-15	2-7	0-1	4	1	2	2	1	2 14
Anthony Epps	5-11	3-6	1-2	4	0	8	1	0	3 14
Mark Pope	2-4	1-1	0-1	2	2	0	1	1	0 5
Allen Edwards	2-3	1-2	1-3	3	2	0	0	0	2 6
Wayne Turner	3-4	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	1 6
Jeff Sheppard	3-7	0-1	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0 6
Oliver Simmons	 2-3	1-1	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0 5
Ron Mercer	2-5	0-2	0-0	2	0	1	1	1	2 4
Nair Mohammed	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	2	0 2
Cameron Mills	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0 0
Team				4					
Totals	41-83 8-22		11-16 38 14 24				6	7 13101	
Coach Stan Morrison, San Jose State
Halftime: UK 56, UT 34; FG%: UT 47.4, UK 49.4; 3FG%: UT 40.0, UK 36.4; FT%: UT 80.0, UK 68.8; Officials: Donaghy, Gray, Dinato. Technicals: Utah, Majerus (1)