Kentucky Wins Again, and Covets 1st place in SEC

The game was ugly. Kentucky played sloppy and kept a lesser-qualitied Auburn Tigers in the game from start to finish, but when it counted the Wildcats pulled out another conference win 73-64 to become the only unbeaten team in conference play.

The first half went back and forth between the two teams and Auburn would have entered the half with a one point lead, but off a rebound and the seconds weaning, Patrick Patterson drove the ball half way down the court tossed the ball to Ramon Harris in stride to make a layup as the buzzer went off to take a 34-33 lead into the half.

Out of the half, Kentucky jumped out early with two 3-point shots made by Jodie Meeks with in the first minute. The Cats pulled ahead even more with a jump shot by Patrick Patterson. But, again sloppy play, mishandling of the ball in transition, and poor passing allowed the Tigers back into the game.

The Cats turned the ball over an atrocious 22 times and even allowed the Tigers to take lead 48-46 half way through the second half.

Again, however, with Kentucky trailing, the two stars for the Wildcats shined brightly, creating their own shots, playing stellar defense, and taking over the game.

Jodie Meeks ended the game with 31 points and went 5 for 8 from the 3-point line. Meeks’ 31 was the smaller part of the story today, as sophomore forward Patrick Patterson stole the show.
Patrick Patterson dominated the game for the Cats and put his team on his back to carry the Wildcats to a victory.

Patterson had a double-double in the first half and finished the game with 21 points and 18 rebounds.

“Pat was a beast. This was probably the best game we have seen of him all year,” said Coach Billy Gillespie after the game.

And the word ‘beast’ was repeated in the opposing locker room with Auburn’s Jeff Lebo echoing the sentiment, “Patrick Patterson is a heck of an athlete. He dominated the game…he is just a beast.”

Patterson willed his Wildcats to the narrow victory and now sees hois team atop the SEC as the only unbeaten team in conference.

With a 4-0 start Billy Gillespie knows there is still a lot of work to do, however said of the game, “It was a good win for us.”