WATCH: John Calipari's very brief remarks after loss to LSU

Just days after roasting his critics following Kentucky’s upset win over Auburn, John Calipari couldn’t get out of the media room fast enough after the Cats’ 75-74 loss to LSU. Citing the team’s need to get out of town to prepare for Saturday’s 4 p.m. game vs. Alabama, Calipari fielded only two questions from reporters at the Pete Maravaich Assembly Center before excusing himself to catch the bus.

The issue for Kentucky tonight vs. LSU, according to Calipari? 50/50 balls. Calipari lamented about how his team was outhustled by the Tigers, especially on the final play of the game. When asked about Kentucky’s defense in the second half, he reminded reporters that the Cats are one of the youngest teams in the country and still prone to “game slippage.” He also gave LSU plenty of credit, noting how the Tigers had fought back from big deficits all season. They can add being down 15 to the No. 17 ranked Cats in the second half to that list now.

Hit play below for more and a complete transcript.

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John Calipari Transcript

…The fight to give themselves a chance to win but 50/50 balls cost us the game. It’s all we talk about, 50/50 balls. Not only the last play, the play before that, up 13, we have it, they jerk it from us, kick it out and make a three, make another three, now it’s anyone’s ball game. Matter of fact, we may have been up 15. You can’t win — don’t tell me about your offense. If you’re not going to come up with 50/50 balls, you can’t win but I’m going to say this. All that being said, I was proud of these guys, in this environment, doing what they did, making that last shot. Adou 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.

On Kentucky losing a 15-point lead…

Calipari: I don’t know but I’ve watched all their games. They were down 24 on Tennessee and they came back and made it a 5-point game. They were down 16 against South Carolina and made it a game, so why don’t you say what are you guys doing when you’re down 15, what happens to your team? Because they just change. I think Florida had them down 16, 17. So, I told my team that at halftime. They’re going to make a run. Every game I watched, they made a run. Now you’ve got to make a run back. But, we had been getting 50/50 balls. We reverted a little bit today. But you’ve got to give them credit. That was a great game for them. Great win and they toughed us for those balls, which were the difference in the game.

On Kentucky’s defense in the second half…

Calipari: And we held them to 39% and we were doing everything and then again, there’s game slippage and that’s what happens with young teams. 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. Cross switched late, they take a tough shot, we get the ball, one-point game. You may say, why did you shoot it so quick? Because we have a lot of people coaching, and that’s fine. Because if you miss, you want to offensive rebound. Tie game, you wait. A one-point game, you don’t and then you hope your defense, you come up with a loose ball, and the stuff we did. I thought we did good except we didn’t grab the ball. But give them credit.

Guys, we’ve got a late flight and we’ve got an early game on Saturday so I’m out of here. I’m trying to get my team on the bus too.

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