LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Pieces of paper were taped to the lockers
of the Kentucky players before their game against No. 4 Tennessee.
Written on the sheets were comments from Tennessee players about
how it would be no big deal to play the Wildcats in front of a
hostile crowd at Rupp Arena.
|  | | Keith Bogans looks for an opening as he works around Tennessee's Jon Higgins. Bogans led Kentucky with 21 points. |
"We don't care about going in there," Kentucky native Isiah Victor was quoted as saying in a newspaper article, blown up at
least five times its original size. "We've played in tougher places than Rupp."
Added Vincent Yarbrough, "There are a lot of fans and a lot of
tradition, but it's not tremendously loud."
Following the Wildcats' 84-74 victory, many of the Vols had
changed their tunes.
"It was the loudest I've ever heard it here," said Victor, who
finished with only eight points. "We tried to get the crowd out
because that's the only time we could score."
Keith Bogans scored 21 points and Tayshaun Prince added 16 as
Kentucky (10-5, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) increased its winning
streak to seven games following an uncharacteristic 3-5 start.
With the victory, the Wildcats remained the only SEC team
without a conference loss heading into road games at No. 21
Mississippi and No. 15 Alabama.
"It was just two teams going at it with everything they had,"
Prince said. "It was a fun game to play in, and I'm sure it's
going to be the same when we go down there."
The Wildcats smothered Tennessee from the opening tip and never
trailed, pushing their record over the Vols in games played at Rupp
Arena to 23-3.
"This helps us gain that killer instinct we've been trying to
develop in this team," said Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, who has
watched double-digit leads evaporate in several games this season.
"We want to put people away and finish games strong."
Freshmen Jason Parker and Gerald Fitch added 10 points each as
the Wildcats pressured Tennessee (16-2, 3-1) into its worst
shooting night of the season.
The Vols came into the game shooting 48 percent, but managed a
season-low 38.7 percent and committed 22 turnovers in front of more
than 23,000 raucous fans.
"Kentucky was the best team on the floor," Tennessee coach
Jerry Green said. "But this is just one loss. It's something we
deal with and then go on. When Kentucky plays like that, they can
play with anyone in the country."
Yarbrough scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half to lead
the Vols, who didn't make a 2-point basket until Yarbrough's jumper
midway through the first half.
Tony Harris added 13 points for Tennessee, but was only 4-of-14
from the field and committed six turnovers. The Wildcats also
outrebounded the much taller, wider Vols 45-35 and scored 25
second-chance points to Tennessee's 12.
"There was definitely a lot of trash talking going on," said
Bogans, who practically guaranteed a Kentucky victory before the
team's practice on Monday. "Nobody was going to back down from
nobody. We stayed focused the entire game and never let them back
in."
The Vols missed their first six shots as Kentucky took a 12-2
lead. A 10-2 run pushed the margin to 27-13 midway through the
half.
"The first five minutes, the crowd really got to us," said
Yarbrough, who chose Tennessee over Kentucky out of high school.
"We couldn't hear anything.
"The first two years I played here, I didn't think Rupp was
loud at all. But this was the loudest arena I've ever played in."
Marquis Estill's three-point play gave Kentucky its largest lead
of the half, 36-20, with 6:16 remaining.
Tennessee trailed 44-28 with 2:15 to play, but a 10-2 run to
close the half -- capped by Harris' off-balance, desperation
3-pointer at the buzzer -- pulled the Vols to 46-38.
Tennessee closed to 51-47 on a 3-pointer by Jon Higgins at the
16-minute mark. Bogans then scored nine points during a 16-2 run to
increase the lead to 67-49 with 11:42 to play.
The Vols got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Tennessee Clubhouse
Kentucky Clubhouse
Vitale: 'Cats back on prowl in SEC
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tayshaun Prince makes it look easy, driving to the hoop and slamming it home.
avi: 922 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Keith Bogans is on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass from Cliff Hawkins.
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Vincent Yarbrough gets a key block to keep the Vols within eight points.
avi: 819 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince gets a huge slam off the give-and-go.
avi: 1290 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tayshaun Prince blocks Ron Slay on the Tennessee fast break.
avi: 735 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tennessee's Tony Harris hits the off-balance shot to end the half on a high note.
avi: 1050 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Coach Tubby Smith talks with ESPN's Dick Vitale after the Wildcats' upset over Tennessee.
wav: 475 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Keith Bogans tells ESPN's Dick Vitale he wants to be the go-to-guy for Kentucky.
wav: 428 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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