Kentucky Wildcats defense too much for Auburn

By Courtney Smith | Feb 22, 2015

The Kentucky Wildcats (27-0, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) used their size, length, and athleticism to stop the three-headed monster of Auburn’s offense (K.T. Harrell, Cinmeon Bowers, and Antoine Mason) on their way to the 110-75 win over the undersized Tigers (12-15, 4-10) on Saturday night inside Rupp Arena.

All three players account for 66.8 percent of the team’s offense, but that percentage was deadpanned by the Wildcats, who scored 21 points off of Auburn’s 15 turnovers.

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Kentucky’s defense, swarming and carving back and forth between man, zone, and full-court pressure, led to easy baskets on the other end as Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron and Andrew Harrison scored the team’s first nine points. The Wildcats jumped out to a 30-4 lead and never looked back.

Kentucky had six players to score in double figures: Towns (19), Aaron Harrison (18), Dakari Johnson (13), Andrew Harrison (12), Devin Booker (11), and Tyler Ulis (10).

The Wildcats’ defense was the storyteller in the first half, consistently interrupting what Auburn had in mind to put on display. The Tigers started the game 1-for-10 from the floor and ended the half 9-for-29, with Antoine Mason standing out the most, going 5-for-9 for 15 points.

Containing Bowers, Harrell, and Mason was what Kentucky needed to do to prevent a close game and complete the blowout.

“The whole idea was you have got to be on these three,” Wildcats head coach John Calipari said after the game. “They can score, and they can score in bunches, and they did. I mean, Mason had 29; could have done more. Harrell had 17. Those two can play with anybody in our league. And when they felt that kid get baskets and they got into a comfort level, they made shots.”

Bowers was held to six points, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. Each time Bowers touched the basketball, he felt the wrath and unscathed presence of either Marcus Lee, Johnson, Trey Lyles or Willie Cauley-Stein. Each of those players are at least 6-foot-10. Bowers stands at 6-7 and his coach, Bruce Pearl, felt Kentucky’s long arms were an issue for his undermanned team.

“I didn’t think we competed as well as we needed to,” Pearl said about his team, who shot 41.7 percent from the field and were outrebounded 44-22. “Sixty-two points in the paint, their centers dominated, we would try and front the post and they would go in deep anytime they wanted to. They are very physical defensively.”

Mason led the way in scoring for Auburn with 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting. Harrell added 17, but only had two after the first 20 minutes, thanks to the pressure he felt from the Wildcats’ backcourt of Booker and both Harrisons.

Mason expressed his frustrations after the game, stating his team didn’t bring fire to the court.

“We got pushed around from every position and it just took a toll on us,” Mason said. “They had a huge lead, like I said, in the first half and trying to come back is tough.”

Next: Video: Kentucky Wildcats complete play of the year

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