Wildcats stuck with fragile psyches after back-to-back losses

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Posted 7:05PM on Thursday, January 10, 2002

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - Concerned. Scared. Nervous. Kentucky coach Tubby Smith used all of those words to describe his players following Wednesday night's 88-84 loss to Georgia. The setback wasn't just the eighth-ranked Wildcats' second straight. It also dropped them to 0-and-2 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time in 23 years. Smith said Thursday, ``We've just been struggling to finalize games and make plays in clutch situations.'' Kentucky (9-4) jumped out to a 21-2 lead Saturday at Mississippi State and led by as many as 16 with 12 minutes to play. But the Bulldogs outmuscled the Wildcats inside down the stretch as sophomore Mario Austin scored 25 of his career-high 32 points in the second half en route to a 74-69 victory. The pattern repeated itself against Georgia. Kentucky led 79-75 with 4:30 remaining but Ezra Williams' long three-pointer and Jarvis Hayes' runner in the lane put the Bulldogs in front 80-79 at the four-minute mark. Hayes, who made 12-of-18 shots and finished with a career-high 30 points, then scored off Keith Bogans' miscue inside to put Georgia on top for good 84-82 with 1:05 to play. Smith said, ``We're not playing well defensively and we're not making plays. We just lack the toughness to make plays down the stretch.'' Kentucky will have to find some answers quickly as it travels Saturday to face a rejuvenated South Carolina squad that has won eight of its last ten games under first-year coach Dave Odom. Kentucky hasn't been 0-and-2 in the conference since 1979. A loss to the Gamecocks (10-4, 0-1) would drop them to 0-and-3 in the league for the first time since the 1975-1976 season. Point guard Cliff Hawkins said, ``Right now, everybody thinks they can beat us. Everybody watching and seeing us getting beat is saying, `Kentucky is weak. We can get Kentucky.' We've got to go out and prove to people we're still a good team.''