Sports

College basketball

SEC: Jayhawks blow out Wildcats

Associated Press
Published January 8, 2006

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LAWRENCE, Kan. - It might be another 16 seasons before Kentucky comes back to Allen Fieldhouse.

Before Saturday, the Wildcats hadn't visited Lawrence since getting blown out 150-95 on Dec.9, 1989 - still a school scoring record for the Jayhawks and the second-worst loss in Kentucky history.

This time, the Wildcats left with the biggest defeat in Tubby Smith's nine seasons as coach - a 73-46 loss in which they shot 24 percent from the field and didn't have an assist until the second half.

"We just got outworked today," guard Ravi Moss said. "We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and see if we have any heart. They beat us to loose balls. They were tougher than we were today."

Freshman Brandon Rush had career highs of 24 points and 12 rebounds, his first double double for Kansas (9-4).

"I've been real guilty of laying back, taking days off and not playing to the best of my abilities," Rush said. "This was a big game for us, so I had to turn it on."

It was the lowest-scoring game for Kentucky (10-4) since a 46-45 loss to Michigan State on Dec.16, 2000. The Wildcats' other loss of more than 20 points under Smith was Dec.10, 79-53 at Indiana.

Kentucky was 15-for-62 from the field Saturday, missing its first 13 from long range and not getting an assist until Rajan Rondo fed Moss for the Wildcats' first 3-pointer with 14:20 left.

They finished with five assists, three by Rondo.

"Nobody was screening and nobody was passing," Smith said. "We just dribbled it around and never got in our offense. When you do that, you have no chance of winning."

MISS. 71, ALABAMA 61: Dwayne Curtis had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the visiting Rebels (11-3, 1-0). The Crimson Tide (7-6, 0-1) led by as many as 10 late in the first half but went into a funk after leading scorer Chuck Davis left with an injured right knee. Coach Mark Gottfried said team doctors told him they are "pretty much 100 percent certain" that Davis tore his ACL and is out for the season. Davis will be examined Monday.

MISS. ST. 69, ARK. 67: Dietric Slater's layup with nine seconds left lifted the host Bulldogs, snapping the Razorbacks' nine-game winning streak. Charles Thomas rimmed out a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Arkansas (11-3, 0-1). Mississippi State (11-3, 1-0) overcame big games from the Razorbacks' Ronnie Brewer (24 points) and Jonathan Modica (20). Slater finished with 13.

VANDY 74, AUBURN 50: Shan Foster hit 6 of 9 3-pointers and scored 20 for the Commodores (10-2, 1-0), who won their fourth straight at home. Freshman Quantez Robertson and Frank Tolbert each scored 12 to lead the Tigers (8-4, 0-1).

[Last modified January 8, 2006, 00:45:14]

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