Welcome to Chapel Hill.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
And so it begins
UK and UNC have been playing for 3 minutes, and UK's big guys have 3 fouls. Two for Harrellson (who's gone for the half), and one for Vargas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
N. Carolina 8 - 5 Kentucky (15:40 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteUNC is just too big and too long for UK, especially with Harrellson out for the whole first half.
UK's only hope is to make a bunch of three's, but Knight looks like he's going to have another game where he misses everything (like he did against UConn).
ReplyDeleteOh, well. It's all a learning experience.
N. Carolina 32 - 31 Kentucky (4:17 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteThree fouls on Vargas
Two fouls on Harrellson
Lamb (11 pts) has played well; Jones (2 pts) has been awful.
N. Carolina 38 - 34 Kentucky (2:48 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteThree fouls on Vargas
Three fouls on Harrellson
If only UK had recruited a high-quality big man. Oh, that's right, we did, but the NCAA won't let him play.
Here's the bottom line. UNC is, at this point in the season, a pretty stupid team. They have made a lot of silly turnovers and given up some pretty easy shots. I think UK would have had a good chance against them in Rupp. But they are too big and too quick for UK, especially at home.
N. Carolina 40 - 42 Kentucky (Halftime)
ReplyDeleteAnd right after I typed that last comment, UNC made a whole series of stupid turnovers to let UK back into the game.
On the whole, I think UK is playing quite well under adverse circumstances. Knight has 13 points, Lamb has 11, Liggins has 8. UK is also 5-10 from 3-point range, which has been huge.
If UNC will stop committing turnovers and patiently work the ball inside, they should be able to win this game. (For one thing, Vargas and Harrellson will both foul out pretty soon). Nevertheless, I think UK has shown a lot more poise and confidence than they did against UConn, and they are competing hard.
N. Carolina 53 - 57 Kentucky (11:04 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteUNC hit a cold stretch, and UK responded with a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead. Roy Williams called time, and UNC responded with a runner in the lane. UK failed to score, and UNC will have it when we come back.
UK is 8-19 from 3's. They will need to make a lot more 3's to win this game.
N. Carolina 59 - 60 Kentucky (7:44 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteVery weird pattern to the game now. UK holds the ball for 30 seconds at a time, before taking either a 3 or a running jumper. UNC is driving straight at the basket and shooting after about five seconds.
N. Carolina 63 - 65 Kentucky (3:38 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteUK hasn't scored a field goal in over 5 minutes. Jones is having a nightmare of a game with the taller UNC guys; he is 3-17 from the field. Here's the foul situation:
Knight: 4 fouls
Jones: 4 fouls
Harrellson: 4 fouls
Vargas: 4 fouls
Liggins: 3 fouls
No one for UNC has more than 3 fouls. UNC is going to the line after this TV timeout.
N. Carolina 65 - 65 Kentucky (3:04 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteJones just fouled out.
N. Carolina 66 - 67 Kentucky (1:36 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteUNC made a free throw.
Lamb made two free throws.
UNC made a turnover.
Lamb missed a running shot in the lane.
UNC's ball. UNC timeout.
N. Carolina 72 - 69 Kentucky (20.9 seconds left)
ReplyDeleteUNC is fouled; makes both shots. (68-67)
Harrellson gets a putback (68-69)
UNC is fouled (Harrellson fouls out). UNC makes both FTs (70-69)
Lamb misses a runner; Vargas called for a foul; Vargas fouls out. UNC makes both FTs (72-69)
UK's ball
N. Carolina 72 - 71 Kentucky (12 seconds left)
ReplyDeleteKnight brings the ball up quickly and hits a jump shot; UK calls its last timeout.
N. Carolina 74 - 71 Kentucky (10.3 seconds left)
ReplyDeleteZeller is fouled and makes two more FTs. He is normally a 69 percent FT shooter, and he has made 11-12 in this game.
N. Carolina 74 - 73 Kentucky (5.6 seconds left)
ReplyDeleteLamb makes two FTs
Knight fouls UNC. Knight fouls out.
UNC heading to the line.
N. Carolina 75 - 73 Kentucky (Final)
ReplyDeleteUNC made the first FT.
Missed the second, wild scramble for the rebound, UK finally got it -- half court heave by Lamb at the buzzer -- game over.
Well, UK played better than I thought they would, but what can you do? They just won't let you play your normal game down there. I don't think there will be too many games where Jones, Knight, Harrellson, and Vargas all foul out.
I just want to say, once again, that I hate this stupid series and I wish UK would drop UNC once and for all. There's no point in playing a team that gets this sort of favorable treatment from the officials at home. Personally, I would replace UNC with UCLA.
I don't think you can tell all that much about the two teams at this point. UK looked really good, and I think they would have beaten UNC on a neutral court, but on the other hand UNC played like morons for much of the game -- and they might blow out UK once they stop making so many silly mistake.
Oh, well. Two-and-a-half hours of life just thrown away. Never -- not for one minute -- did I think UK was going to win this game. And I was right.
The sequence where Harrelson put back the miss and was fouled twice en route (once by Zeller, who would've fouled out) and then fouled out on the other end on a pass inside to Zeller ... that sequence made me regret every penny of taxes I ever paid to North Carolina's coffers.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Eric. That was a huge sequence.
ReplyDeletethank you!
ReplyDelete