LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Another game against Kentucky, another loss.
It's an old story for the Utah basketball team, which was hoping to exorcise a few demons Friday night at Rupp Arena. Instead the Utes lost to the Wildcats for the fifth straight time, all in the past seven years.Playing without Hanno Mottola and in front of a hostile crowd of 22,833, the 16th-ranked Utes stayed with the 14th-ranked Wildcats until the final minute before falling 56-48. Kentucky outscored Utah 10-2 over the final four minutes to capture the win and earn a berth in the NIT semifinals in New York next week against Maryland.
"We were beaten by a good team and I applaud Kentucky's effort," said Ute coach Rick Majerus. "Kentucky is a heck of a team. They played really hard and deserved to win the game."
Asked if he was upset about another loss to Kentucky, Majerus replied, "I don't keep track of those things. A loss is a loss. We could lose to Transylvania (a Kentucky NAIA school) and I would feel terrible. I don't ever feel good losing. As I get older, I take defeats so hard."
Majerus complimented his team's effort and said their defense was "excellent." But he added "our offense is very behind right now."
That was obvious at the end of the game, when the Utes couldn't find a way to score, or even get a shot off, for that matter. The Utes scrapped and fought to come back from a 10-point first-half deficit to tie the game twice in the final eight minutes, but could never get over the hump after tying the game four times near the end.
Alex Jensen, who had 10 points and nine rebounds in 39 minutes, hit two straight baskets to pull the Utes into a tie at 41-41 with 8:55 left. After Kentucky made one of two foul shots, Jensen had a chance to put the Utes ahead, but missed the second of two foul shots. The score was also tied at 44 and 46 and the Utes had another chance to go ahead, but they couldn't even get a shot off as the shot clock expired.
The Utes had the same problem on their next two possessions as Trent Whiting had to fire up a forced 3-pointer as the shot clock was winding down and then Harvey lost control as he went up for a shot with one second on the shot clock.
"Obviously it was a lack of execution," said Jensen. "It was a combination of inexperienced players in the game and experienced players not taking charge. In those situations, you have to get a shot off and we didn't."
Majerus said part of the problem was the Utes' lack of inside depth and he implied the Utes really missed Mottola.
"We're playing without an inside presence," he said. "We're throwing together band-aids right now. (Phil) Cullen was a band-aid When you don't have an inside presence, it makes to tough on offense."
After Kentucky went up 50-46 on a baseline jumper by Saul Smith, the Utes cut the lead to two when Nate Althoff tipped in a miss by Harvey with 1:41 left. But Desmond Allison made a tough jumper and after Jeff Johnsen travelled driving to the basket, the Wildcats sewed it up with four foul shots.
"We made some big-time plays down the stretch," said Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. "Saul's and Desmond's shots were huge."
In the first half, the Utah had stormed back from an 8-3 deficit to go up 19-14 thanks to three 3-pointers by Jeremy Killion and one each by Harvey and Whiting. Then the Utes went seven possessions without scoring as the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run over a five-and-a-half minute period.
The Wildcat lead reached 10 at 31-21 before Jensen scored his first points of the game in the final 30 seconds on a layup and a 3-pointer as time expired.
Killion led the Utah scoring with 15 points, while Harvey and Jensen chipped in 10 apiece.
Kentucky was led by Jamaal Magliore with 15 points and Tayshaun Prince with 11.
Perhaps the key stat of the game was turnovers as the Utes gave the ball away 18 times compared to just seven for the Wildcats.
"We met the enemy and the enemy was us," said Majerus of his team's turnovers.
In improving to 2-0 on the year, the Wildcats had to feel relieved to get away with a win over the undermanned Utes.
"They're going to have a great year," said Smith about Utah. "They showed a lot of poise in a hostile arena. I hope we don't see them again in March."
You can bet the Utes would love to get another crack at the Wildcats on a neutral court with Mottola back in their lineup.
"I like our club," said Majerus. "I like the direction we can go."
The Utes don't play again for 10 days with their next game coming against Stonybrook on Nov. 29 at the Huntsman Center. That gives the Utes about eight more practices (they have to take one day off per week) to help improve on Friday night's performance. Poor Stonybrook.
"I'm excited about our practice time and our healing time," said Majerus. "I'm looking forward to practice in the morning. I'd like to go right now."