UNC 86, Kentucky 77
Boxscore |
RecapUNC won another game in similar fashion to the previous six. We had moments where we looked unstoppable followed by long droughts where we couldn't hit the side of a barn. We started the game going 2-3 from the field and then followed it up by going 1-11. We closed the half by going 7-10. Danny Green provided a much needed spark toward the end of the first half by scoring 8 straight points. Danny had another solid performance going 8-11 from the field and scoring a team high (and career high) 20 points.
For a third straight year, Kentucky kept Tyler in check for much of the game although he did tally a double-double (going 10-12 from the free throw line). The refs were inconsistent again. They called a bunch of touch fouls, but Tyler got mugged on several occasions with no call. He could have gone to the line twice as much. Kentucky Coach Gillispie suggested that Hansbrough wasn't the innocent victim on all those fouls:
"I think sometimes the offensive player may initiate more contact than the casual fan may think," Gillispie said.
And Kentucky's freshman standout Patrick Patterson had this to say:
"Coach wanted a nasty game instead of a pretty game," Patterson said.
It sucks to be Tyler sometimes. Teams are going to come out with a specific game plan to hack and whack him and then suggest that he's the one initiating the fouls.
Wayne had an off day (especially in the first half) but ended with a quiet 18 points on 6-16 shooting. He made a couple of nice shots in the second half.
Before the game, reports indicated that Ty Lawson would not play. Fortunately for us, those reports were wrong. Ty did a good job scoring 10 points and collecting 6 assists. He didn't show any ill effects from his sprained ankle.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Bobby Frasor. Bobby has struggled this year from behind the arc, but came out of his slump with a vengeance against UK by going 3-4 for 9 points. He even pulled up on a fast break and nailed a 3. I loved it!
While we are off to our best start since
1998-1999, I'm only marginally satisfied. I know it is early, but after watching UCLA (and Duke though it is painful to admit it) earlier, I'm not sure we are as explosive as those teams. We are still showing the same kind of inconsistency we had last year. We don't seem to have the killer instinct either. We should have blown out Kentucky (Gardner-Webb beat them by 16 at Kentucky).
