Wofford Basketball: Season ends in loss to Kentucky in Round of 32

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: Tyler Herro #14 of the Kentucky Wildcats drives against Fletcher Magee #3 of the Wofford Terriers during the first half of the game in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vystar Memorial Arena on March 23, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

The dream season of the Wofford Terriers came to an end on Saturday when they were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by Kentucky.

He came into the game the best three-point shooter in history and Kentucky knew it. John Calipari made sure that if No. 7 Wofford was going to beat No. 2 Kentucky, it was because someone other than Fletcher Magee would be the reason. Magee ended the game with eight points and an 0-12 from three-point land stat line, and Kentucky ended up with a 62-56 win and a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.

On the season, Wofford averaged 83 points per game but the Kentucky guards, Ahston Hagans, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, and Jemarl Baker, Jr. held Mike Young’s Terriers to just 56. Herro struggled just as much as Magee, going just 2-11 from the field for nine points but hit a big three to re-establish a six-point lead for the Wildcats with just over five minutes to play. Reid Travis led the winners with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Hagans was the only other Kentucky player in double figures with 12.

With Magee struggling, someone had to pick up the slack, and that was Nathan Hoover who scored a game-high 19, including 4-5 from beyond the arc. Cameron Jackson and Keve Aluma did their best to compete with the bigger Wildcats’ frontcourt, combining for 18 points and 19 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough, as a magical season came to an end for Wofford.

After beginning the game 4-6 from deep, the Terriers finished just 4-21. Down 58-54 with Jackson and Aluma both missed layups with two minutes remaining, they would cut the lead to two with 38 seconds left but Kentucky free throws and Wofford missing 12 of their last 18 shots sealed their fate.

Kentucky led for a total of 29 seconds in the first half, after Hagans gave them their first lead with 54 seconds left in a half that saw Wofford control things for the most part. The game was tied at 11 at the under-12 media timeout and Wofford’s Jackson was saddled with two fouls and the Terriers had committed five turnovers, they turned it over nine times in their upset win over Seton Hall.

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The first half was a blueprint of what many expected in this game. Kentucky used their size and length to disrupt Wofford and scored half of their points inside the paint and outrebounded the Terriers 16-12 in the half, including a 5-1 advantage on the offensive glass. For Wofford, they did what has made them successful, going 5-12 from beyond the arc, but the shooting star Magee struggled, going 1-6 and just two points that came with 26 seconds left. Hoover picked up the slack though, with 11 first-half points.

Kentucky now travels to Kansas City, awaiting the winner of tomorrow’s game between No. 3 Houston and No. 11 Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen.