LIKE IT IS : Guys in stripes help prepare feast for Wildcats

WALLY HALL

Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/217757/

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A pot roast with potatoes and carrots simmered with celery, onions and a hint of rosemary.

Hot apple pie.

A Kentucky basketball game in Rupp Arena.

There’s nothing like home cooking, which was why John Pelphrey addressed lead official Tony Greene before the customary postgame handshake with the opponents.

Pelphrey now knows how it feels to be on the other side of what happens in Rupp and stays in Rupp.

No, it wasn’t a home-cooked feast and the Arkansas Razorbacks were not robbed, but they were definitely outnumbered at key times during the afternoon.

There were calls made later than a departure at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on a rainy day, and there was at least one makeup call and definitely several fouls by the Kentucky Wildcats that were ignored like sugar-free lemonade.

It was bad on both ends of the court, just a little worse on the visiting side.

Granted, the Razorbacks did not help themselves, but the difference in this game was at the free-throw line.

Arkansas was called for 21 fouls. Kentucky was called for 10 — five in each half.

Not only did the Wildcats shoot 13 more free throws and make 10 of those in the 63-58 victory, but 11 of their final 15 points came at the line, and only twice did the Hogs foul to stop the clock.

Patrick Patterson, the biggest and most powerful player on the court, finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but he fouled just one time in 40 minutes.

Point guard Ramel Bradley, who played 39 minutes, made 10 of 12 free throws but fouled only twice.

What was almost as obvious was the way the Razorbacks fiddled away a five-point lead in the first half.

After taking a 17-12 lead, the Razorbacks went 10: 18 without a field goal. While falling behind by five, they suffered six turnovers and attempted only three shots.

That’s not taking care of the ball or business, and on the road, at any venue, you have to avoid turnovers.

In the second half, it quickly became obvious Sonny Weems had gone from ice-cold to redhot.

Behind him, the Razorbacks jumped to a 39-32 lead and had quieted the majority of the 24, 371 who had been invited to the banquet.

The Hogs outscored the home team 17-5 to open the second half by controlling the tempo, something they never came close to doing in the first half or the last 13 minutes.

Kentucky plays outstanding defense, and on offense it chipped away at the lead, feeding off the crowd that had come to life, even more than when it welcomed Pelphrey home during introductions.

With 2: 19 to play and the Hogs leading 55-54, Weems was called for a phantom hand check, and Joe Crawford tied it with a free throw.

After Gary Ervin roared into the paint and put up a floater that missed, Bradley worked the clock down. With 1: 16 to play and one second on the shot clock, he hit a fadeaway jumper for a lead the Wildcats would never relinquish.

Down the stretch, the Wildcats made their free throws and escaped with their seventh SEC victory by six points or fewer.

Give them credit for not giving up and for seizing control of the tempo after a chewing out by Coach Billy Gillispie during a timeout.

The only way Kentucky can win right now is to make the game a turtle’s pace and keep it as ugly as possible.

Arkansas obliged for too much of the 40 minutes and now stands 18-8 overall and 7-5 in the SEC, which is exactly how many victories it had in conference play last year, but the Razorbacks have four games left this season.

All things considered, the Razorbacks almost overcame a game in which they had only three offensive rebounds and Patrick Beverley — not because of a lack of effort — had a very off day, going 1 of 8 from the field.

Then there was the home cooking, which definitely helped the home team, especially at the free-throw line.