Wildcats follow familiar script

[ukfaninva]

They fall behind, catch up, then lose
class=sidebarBy Brett Dawson
bdawson@courier-journal.com (mailto:bdawson@courier-journal.com)
The Courier-Journal


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There's an old adage that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

If it's true, then the No. 20 University of Kentucky basketball team yesterday continued a descent into February madness, losing 72-61 to No. 25 Alabama in a game that looked frustratingly familiar to the Wildcats.

"We always beat ourselves at the beginning of the game," UK center Randolph Morris said after the Cats' third straight loss. "It always takes us too long to start playing the way we need to. With that happening, we get down, and we always seem to fight our way back, and down the stretch … we don't execute at all."

That was the script again at Coleman Coliseum, where 15,316 fans witnessed the same show UK (18-8, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) put on display Feb. 10 against Florida and Tuesday at Tennessee.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070218/SPORTS03/702180557/1002/SPORTS

[ukfaninva]

A February to forget for Wildcats

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In lieu of a new column from yesterday's University of Kentucky basketball loss at Alabama, please refer to previous columns from Wildcat losses to Vanderbilt, Florida and Tennessee.



They may be found via Google search for the following terms: "double-digit deficit," "second-half comeback," " coming up short," "three-point ineptitude" or "underachievement."

Thank you.

Apparently, I'm not allowed to do that.

It's all right for the Cats to keep playing the same game, but I can't keep writing the same column. Fine. Here's a new angle for you:

George Buchheit.

Don't pretend you know who he is. He was the UK coach from 1920-'24.

So what could he possibly have to do with UK's 72-61 loss to the Crimson Tide yesterday?

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20070218/columnists02/702180567/1002&GID=8T1RhCqWPg9MJc6PzJblOINiWfrax9khhsV0EAuY6 sA%3D

[ukfaninva]

UK in threefall mode
Too little, too late is all too familiar
By Jerry Tipton
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - What Coach Tubby Smith called Kentucky's "M.O." led to another KO yesterday.

For the third straight game, the Cats fell behind by a double-digit margin before rallying tantalizingly close to victory. Alas, once more the train ran over Polly Purebread because Dudley Do-Wrong (aka UK) still can't figure out how to untie that final rope.

"Very depressing," freshman Jodie Meeks said after Alabama beat Kentucky 72-61. "This is the third game in a row. We could have won each of the three. But we didn't execute."

Familiarity produced the wrong kind of rarity. The Cats lost a third straight Southeastern Conference game for only the second time since Eddie Sutton's program imploded in 1988-89. Kentucky, which also made a three-stop visit to Skid Row last February, fell to 18-8 overall, 7-5 in the SEC and 0-5 against ranked teams.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/16726378.htm

[ukfaninva]

Bama hands Wildcats their third straight loss
By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - No. 25 Alabama built a big lead and then watched it shrink - a familiar story of late for the Crimson Tide.



This time they tightened up the defense, kept hitting shots and fought off several rallies by No. 20 Kentucky on Saturday for a 72-61 win, handing the Wildcats' their third straight loss.



"We all knew it was a must-win," said the Tide's Richard Hendrix, who had 16 points and nine rebounds. "When they came out and gave us their best shot, we were able to bounce back. We stayed poised and knocked down our shots.



"I think we all feel we're playing our best basketball of late, it's just unfortunate we lost our last two games."



The Tide (19-7, 6-6 Southeastern Conference) never trailed and scored the game's final seven points to avoid blowing a second-half lead for the third straight game.

http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=29316&format=html