Interior defense, surprise contributions allow Kentucky to beat LSU

For the second game in a row, a shorthanded Kentucky fell behind by double-digits at home against an SEC team that will play in the NCAA Tournament. For the second game in a row, Kentucky still found a way to end the night in the winner’s circle.

After a crazy offensive performance shined through in the win over Alabama, the defense and a surprise bench contributor keyed Kentucky’s 71-66 win over LSU. The Wildcats are now 23-5 (12-3) and firmly in the hunt for a No. 1 seed.

Before moving over to focus on a colossal clash with Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, KSR is diving into the box score and pulling the numbers that told the tale in UK’s latest home victory.

Two-point defense fueled the comeback

In the first half, Kentucky found themselves down 27-16 with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. LSU hovered around a 10-point lead for the remainder of the half and entered the locker room with an eight-point lead. The Tigers leaned on some hot three-point shooting as the team went 5 of 10 from deep to build that early lead.

However, those threes dried up in the first half, and the two-point defense continued. Kentucky did a great job protecting the rim and contained dribble drives from Xavier Pinson in the last 20 minutes. It all resulted in an excellent defensive performance.

LSU finished the night averaging 1.05 points per possession as a late 16-9 run bolstered a bad half. For the game, the Tigers were just 12 of 31 (38.7%) from two and 10 of 25 (40%) on shots at the rim. Kentucky recorded five blocks and defended everything inside the three-point line very well.

The late turnovers put a damper on what was an excellent defensive performance by Kentucky.

Bryce Hopkins game

As the Kentucky defense settled in during the first half, the offense could not find any rhythm. The Wildcats made just eight field goals before the break with zero make from three-point range. The comeback was there for the taking, but the offense needed a lift.

An unexpected contributor provided some much-needed juice off the pine.

Bryce Hopkins entered the game early in the second half and gave the Wildcats some immediate production. The true freshman went for a team-high 13 points in 13 minutes after the break shooting 5 of 6 from the floor and grabbing a couple of offensive rebounds. Hopkins — a former top-50 recruit — made some plays off the bounce and looked to be comfortable on the floor. His play sparked a 24-9 Kentucky run that turned a 31-23 deficit into a 47-40 lead at the halfway point of the second half.

When the team desperately needed some bench help, Hopkins stepped up in a big way and finished the game a team-high plus-16.

Very low assist rate

Entering the night, LSU ranked No. 3 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom. The Tigers are very good at forcing live-ball turnovers and guard the three very well. With a couple of good shot blockers, Will Wade’s club protects the rim and can make defensive plays at every level. To beat them, teams usually need to move the ball well with passing.

Kentucky did not exactly do that.

The Wildcats finished with three assists on 23 made field goals for an assist rate of just 13 percent. Therefore, Kentucky had to depend on isolation situations constantly. Luckily, Kentucky drew 25 fouls and shot 32 free throws. Without those 23 points at the charity stripe, Kentucky could have been in big trouble.

The low assist number proves that the Wildcats need to get TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Stats that stood out

• How does 17 points, 16 rebounds (six offensive), and three blocks in 38 minutes sound? It’s just Oscar Tshiebwe giving us more proof that the junior is the clear leader in the Player of the Year race.
• Kellan Grady played 40 minutes where the super senior went for 13 points with three assists while running the show with the two point guards injured. The Davidson transfer has been masterful in his only season at Kentucky.
• Cincinnati transfer Tari Eason has been LSU’s top player all season. The versatile four-man should be receiving heavy All-SEC looks and might be the best sixth man in college basketball. However, Kentucky shut him down. Eason went for five points in 13 minutes and was disqualified from the game after fouling out. The Wildcats took LSU’s best offensive threat out of the contest.
• LSU guard Xavier Pinson went for a season-high 26 points with 12 makes coming from the free throw line. His dribble creation caused Kentucky some issues, but Pinson needed 20 field goal attempts in the game as the Missouri transfer’s usage rate was very high.