No. 18 Kentucky whips High Point

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Posted 7:43AM on Wednesday, December 4, 2002

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - The thought of a practice at daybreak less than a week after returning from Hawaii was more than enough to motivate No. 18 Kentucky on Tuesday night. Keith Bogans scored 21 points and Gerald Fitch added 18 points and six assists as the Wildcats overcame a sluggish first half in their home opener to beat High Point 84-64. The Wildcats (3-1) shot 70 percent (16-of-23) in the first 20 minutes but led only 38-32 at halftime. The shorter, scrappier Panthers stayed close by outrebounding Kentucky 12-11 and scoring 14 points off eight turnovers. At halftime, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith threatened to make his players practice at 6 a.m. on Wednesday if they didn't play better in the second half. ``I could see the frustration on Coach's face, so I knew something was coming,'' Fitch said. ``As much work as we put in, I knew he was disappointed.'' ``We did not want to get up for a 6 a.m. practice,'' Bogans said. Smith's tactic worked. The Panthers trimmed the deficit to two in the first two minutes of the second half, but Bogans hit a short jumper in the lane to trigger an 18-2 Kentucky spurt. The Wildcats went 2-of-3 from 3-point range and held High Point without a field goal for more than three minutes during the run. Freshman Kelenna Azubuike's 3-pointer from the wing with 11:27 left gave Kentucky its biggest lead to that point, 57-39. ``Everyone picked up the intensity a little bit because we knew we weren't giving the kind of defensive energy that we needed in the first half,'' Smith said. The Wildcats hit five of their first 10 3-point shots after shooting 27 percent (15-of-55) from 3-point range in three games at last week's Maui Invitational. They finished 7-of-15 (47 percent) from 3-point range. Chuck Hayes had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, who shot 63 percent (32-of-51) and scored 24 points off 20 turnovers. Smith was forced to shuffle his starting lineup after small forward Antwain Barbour broke his hand in practice last Sunday. The 6-foot-11 Camara, the 6-6 Hayes and 6-9 senior Marquis Estill formed a formidable starting frontcourt. They went a combined 9-of-16 from the floor and 12-of-16 from the free-throw line. The trio will get a truer test at No. 12 North Carolina on Saturday. ``That big lineup will help us out a lot,'' Bogans said. ``It will make us a tough team to handle.'' Bogans came in averaging 17 points and shooting 52 percent. He averaged only 11.6 points and shot 39 percent last season. Bogans shot 4-of-6, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, on Tuesday. ``I know the way I'm capable of playing,'' he said. ``This is no surprise to me. Last year was, but this year isn't. I'm just going out and doing what Coach asks me to do.'' The Panthers started the second half 2-of-10 from 3-point range and never threatened after Kentucky's decisive burst. Smith, who graduated from High Point in 1973, removed his starters with 1:11 left. Dustin VanWeerdhuizen scored 18 points to lead High Point (2-2). Kentucky has won 85 of 100 home openers but had lost its last two. The Wildcats improved to 24-3 in home openers at Rupp Arena.