The Kentucky Wildcats the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Battle in Seattle on Saturday night by a score of 90-89.
Kentucky played horribly from the start. There was no offense. There was no defense. The Cats were sloppy and looked like a team completely outmatched. The Zags took a 50-34 lead into the half.
After the break, the Battle in Seattle truly ensued. The Zags extended their lead to 17 in the second half, but the Cats didn’t blink. A 16-2 run brought Kentucky within striking distance as the lead slowly shrunk down to two. It really looked like four different teams between the first and second half. Andrew Carr, specifically, was outstanding.
And at the end of the second half, we ended up tied and headed to overtime! Kentucky took a commanding 86-79 lead, but in the snap of a finger, it was a one-point game. And the Cats pulled out a massive victory!
Next up, the Cats will take on the Colgate Raiders on Wednesday night in Lexington.
Butler did not play
It’s amazing the difference one player can make. Of course, Butler’s absence wasn’t the sole reason for the outcome of this game, but he was definitely missed.
Kerr Kriisa started, but he shared lead guard duties, and the rotation expanded. Jaxson Robinson played someone, and Collin Chandler and Travis Perry both got minutes. Robinson was the difference maker.
The loss of Butler’s defense, ability to initiate the offense, and downhill driving was sorely missed. Kriisa wasn’t terrible offensively, but he was defensively. Kentucky simply didn’t have an answer for Butler’s absence, until Robison came to life.
Thankfully, it didn’t matter. If anything, Kentucky deserves extra credit for this win in the Selection Committee’s eyes come March Madness.
A tale of two halves
In the first half, I really wasn’t sure what was worse between the offense and defense of this team.
The pick-and-roll defense had become a nightmare reminiscent of “he who shall not be named.” No adjustments were made to try zone, or much of anything else. Kerr, Amari Williams, and Koby Brea were abused. The rebounding and toughness of this team was essentially nonexistent.
On the offensive side, the center-initiated stuff was brutal to watch. Williams and Brandon Garrison turned the ball over at an alarming rate, and handing the ball to Andrew Carr at the three-point line was like watching a baby deer try to stand.
The three-point shooting was abysmal. It felt like they could hardly get easy buckets and when they were wide open, it was brick after brick.
In the second half, this team looked completely different. They fought every possession, They defended and rebounded. They actually ran an offense, mainly through Carr, and the entire game flipped. What looked like a blowout and lost cause suddenly turned into the real Battle in Seattle.
Pope has to be given credit for his ability to adjust and change the whole game on a dime. The result wasn’t in Kentucky’s favor and it’d be nice to see some better starts, but you can’t ever count this team out.
Garrison is a monster
Brandon Garrison hasn’t been perfect this year, but he was a McDonald’s All American that put up decent numbers in his freshman season at Oklahoma State. The biggest thing is his motor that never stops.
He’s got a decent outside shot and he’s long as can be. He alters shots, rebounds, and scores at opportune times. He has a long way to go, but his ceiling is through the roof.
Jaxson Robinson saves the day
After a disastrous first half, Jaxson Robinson came alive for the Cats in the second half and OT, finishing with 18 points on 7/15 shooting after starting 1/8. He also chipped in five assists while getting extended minutes at the point guard.
It took a while, but we finally got the full Jaxson Robinson experience in what’s arguably Kentucky’s biggest win of the season in terms of analytics (Gonzaga is No. 2 in NET, and Duke is No. 4.
Now, let’s celebrate!
CATS!!
