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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Another strong first half by Kentucky
was enough to end Tennessee's hopes of regaining the momentum it
had earlier in the season.
|  | | Kentucky's Cliff Hawkins drives on Harris Walker in the first half Wednesday. |
The Wildcats (16-7, 9-2 Southeastern Conference) shot a
blistering 71 percent on 3-pointers in the first half and finished
14-for-21 from long range in a 103-95 win over Tennessee
(18-7, 5-6) on Wednesday night. Tayshaun Prince's career-high 30
points, including six 3-pointers, led the way.
"Kentucky played as nearly a perfect a first half as I've seen
while I've been at the University of Tennessee," Volunteers coach
Jerry Green said.
In the Wildcats' 84-74 win on Jan. 16, Kentucky (No. 25 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP) led by as many
as 16 points early and didn't relinquish the lead.
After Tennessee (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) took a 12-3 lead early in the second game, it
was all Kentucky.
The Wildcats got hot from beyond the 3-point arc. Bogans hit a 3
to start an 11-0 the run. Prince hit another 2½ minutes later for a
14-12 lead.
Vincent Yarbrough's jumper tied it at 14 and Harris Walker hit a
3 to pull Tennessee to 22-19, but Kentucky expanded its lead from
there.
Prince's 3 with 6:39 remaining in the first half put Kentucky up
34-24, and Gerald Fitch got in the act with another 3 four minutes
later for a 41-29 lead.
"Shooting the ball well was a big key," Kentucky coach Tubby
Smith said. "When Tayshaun plays well, we play well. Our first
half may have been the best of the season if you take away the
first few minutes."
The Wildcats extended their winning streak to six despite
winning only their third SEC road game.
The struggles continued for Tennessee, which had won 18 straight
at home, but had not won at all since its last home game against
Vanderbilt on Feb. 3.
The Vols, playing without injured point guard Tony Harris, lost
three in a row for the first time since January 1998. Harris
missed his second game because of a sprained ankle.
"We missed Tony in every play we have. We're not as good a team
without him," Green said.
Kentucky led by as many as 14 in the first half and extended the lead to
as many as 19 in the second half before Tennessee rallied for a
furious and rugged finish.
The Vols cut Kentucky's lead to four with 2:19 left after a 13-1
run in which Isiah Victor scored five straight points.
Then Ron Slay and Bogans went for a loose ball by the Kentucky
bench. The rest of the Wildcats encircled them on the floor. Harris
jumped off the Tennessee bench, throwing down a towel, and ran
toward the scuffle. He was taken away by the Tennessee coaches as
Vols fans cheered loudly.
Harris was ejected and asked to leave the court. Officials said
after the game that Harris would not be punished further.
Slay was assessed a foul, his fifth, and Bogans made both free
throws for a 95-89 lead. But Walker drove to the basket and then
Yarbrough scored again to cut it to 95-93 with 1:40 left.
Fitch and Prince made two free throws apiece to restore the
Wildcats' lead to six with 47.4 seconds remaining. Walker's basket
trimmed it back to four, but Prince went back to the line twice and
converted all four free throws to seal the win.
"We had to find a way to stop it. We did a great job of staying
poised," Prince said. "Every game on the road is a good win. We
knew they were capable of coming back, which they did. But at the
same time, everybody is trying to take us down."
Yarbrough led Tennessee with a career-high 28 points, Victor
added 21 and Slay had 18.
Fitch scored 11 points and Jason Parker added 10 for Kentucky.
Tennessee got as close as seven twice in the first two minutes
of the second half. But Prince and Bogans responded just like they
did in the Wildcats' first win, 84-74 on Jan. 16, a game that began
Tennessee's woes.
Kentucky used a 12-3 spurt to increase its lead to 19. Bogans
made two baskets and Prince's 3-pointer put the Wildcats ahead
73-54 with 12:51 left.
Yarbrough tried to rally Tennessee with three straight
3-pointers, the last cutting the lead to 79-65 with 9:25 to go.
The Tennessee fans sensed the momentum, and Yarbrough's putback
that cut it to 12 elicited deafening cheers.
But Prince silenced them again with another 3, stirring up the
pockets of Kentucky fans.
In the first three minutes, Tennessee looked like it had the
magic that carried it to a 13-1 record through December, jumping to
a 12-3 lead after the Wildcats committed three turnovers.
But quickly Kentucky came back with an 11-0 run.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Kentucky Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
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