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John Calipari addresses second half defensive struggles vs. LSU

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•02/22/24•

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(Stephen Lew | USA TODAY Sports)

Kentucky’s defense crumbled in the second half of its 75-74 loss to LSU on Wednesday. After the game, UK head coach John Calipari addressed his team’s second-half struggles.

“We held them to 39% [in the first half] and we were doing everything and then again, there’s game slippage and that’s what happens with young teams,” Calipari said. “We do have the youngest team in the country. That stuff happens and it seems to happen at the wrong time but I thought we did everything we needed to.”

LSU scored 48 of its 75 points in the second half of the game. Kentucky committed 19 fouls in the outing compared to LSU’s 13. The Tigers were red-hot from downtown, shooting 9-20 (45%) from beyond the arc.

Kentucky’s foul trouble prevented the team from playing aggressive defense. With over 10 minutes left in the second half, LSU was in the bonus. LSU shot 25 free throws in the showdown while Kentucky only shot 12.

Kentucky’s underwhelming second-half defense was a step in the wrong direction for the ‘Cats. The team has allowed 75.3 points per game this season, ranking No. 305 in the country. In the Wildcats’ back-to-back wins against Ole Miss and Auburn, they held both opponents to less than 65 points.

Kentucky looks to regain composure before Saturday

With a 15-point lead early in the second half, Kentucky was well on its way to a third-straight win. Instead, LSU slowly chipped away at the ‘Cats, eventually making a miraculous play for the win. Despite the loss, Calipari is proud of his ‘Cats.

“If you’re not going to come up with 50/50 balls, you can’t win,” Calipari said. “All that being said, I was proud of these guys, in this environment, doing what they did, making that last shot. Adou [Thiero] blocks it.

“I’ve got to watch the tape and say, who did not grab that ball? The winning ball. Who didn’t grab it and why? Why not dive on the floor and just tie it up and we win the game? But fought to get back. Made baskets. Robert Dillingham made some unbelievable plays. We went to him late and he did what he does.”

Kentucky won’t have long to mourn its losses. On Saturday, Calipari and Co. will square off against Alabama, which currently sits atop the SEC standings with a 11-2 conference record. The two teams will go head-to-head at 4 p.m. ET on CBS.