Kentucky Avoids Upset

Kentucky's rich past didn't mean a thing once the game started. But in the end, it mattered most of all.

Forced to play two overtimes for the first time in its NCAA tournament history, fifth-seeded Kentucky avoided an early exit with an 85-80 victory over 12th-seeded St. Bonaventure on Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Regional.

"We deal with a lot of pressure at the University of Kentucky," Wildcats coach Tubby Smith said. "This is a big one, but no bigger than the next one."

Kentucky, college basketball's winningest program, hasn't been itself all season.

Allison was indefinitely suspended, and his absence left Smith with just nine players for the NCAA tournament. He was almost forced to use them all by a St. Bonaventure team that wouldn't quit.

"They're all big," Smith said. "But this is a special one because we had a young man who made a mistake. But we've got a tough group of players."

So does St. Bonaventure (21-10). Playing in its first NCAA tournament in 22 years, the Bonnies became the first team in 120 NCAA games to take Kentucky to two overtimes.

"That's a heck of a way to start the NCAA tournament," Bonnies coach Jim Baron said. "We fought hard. We fought long. We were one basket away."

Tayshaun Prince scored 28 points and made a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining in regulation for Kentucky (23-9), which made things tough on itself with poor foul shooting - 14 of 20 in the two OTs - and bad defens down the stretch.

Keith Bogans scored 19 points his final two on a putback with 11.6 seconds remaining for Kentucky, which will play the Syracuse-Samford winner in Saturday's second round.

For a while, it didn't look as if the Wildcats would get there.

"They played their hearts out," Kentucky center Jamaal Magliore said of St. Bonaventure. "But we came in with a burning desire."

St. Bonaventure rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half, and then came from five down in the final eight seconds of the first OT when Kentucky committed two fouls.

First, Bonnies guard Tim Winn was hacked by Soulemayne Camara while scoring on a drive with 8.7 seconds remaining in OT. Winn's free throw brought St. Bonaventure within 74-73.

Magliore then made two free throws, but Wildcats reserve Marvin Stone fouled David Messiah Capers attempting a 3-pointer with less than a second to go.

Messiah Capers, a 56 percent free-throw shooter, made all three shots to tie it at 76 despite Kentucky trying to ice him by calling timeouts after his first and second attempts.

"The guys just told me, 'You make 'em or you miss 'em, we still love you,"' Messiah Capers said. "There was never any doubt in my mind. They gave me confidence."

J.R. Bremer blew a chance to give St. Bonaventure the lead in the second OT by missing two free throws with 1:21 left, but stole the ball back. However, Prince blocked Bremer's 3-point attempt from the corner with 45 seconds to go.

On Kentucky's next possession, Bogens picked up a loose ball in the lane and scored underneath to put the Wildcats up 83-80.

St. Bonaventure had one last chance to tie it, but Winn's 3-pointer from the top of the key rattled out, and Prince made two free throws for Kentucky to close the scoring with 1.1 seconds to play.

Baron replaced all five players before Prince shot and even the Kentucky fans stood to applaud Bonaventure's scrappy effort.

"The crowd wanted us to win," Messiah Capers said.

Trailing 63-60 in regulation, Prince came off a screen set by Magliore and drilled a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds remaining to tie it.

"That was a great screen," Prince said. "All I had to do was concentrate on my shot."

Following a timeout, Winn drove the length of the court but missed a layup over two defenders with two seconds left to force OT.

Kentucky opened a 13-point lead early in the second half and looked like it was about to put St. Bonaventure away. But the Bonnies came storming back and with Bremer making two straight 3-pointers, they closed within 48-46 with 8:56 remaining.

Sensing a possible upset, Syracuse fans waiting for Game 2, joined forces with their upstate New York state St. Bonaventure brethren to drown out Kentucky's fans.

And when Bremer buried a third straight 3-pointer with 8:00 left to give the Bonnies a 49-48 lead it seeed like the entire population of Olean, N.Y., was in the Convocation Centre.

But it was Kentucky that survived to play another day.

"It's been like this all year long," Smith said. "Nobody picked us to win the SEC regular-season title. Not many picked us in the Top 25. But we've grown together and overcome some difficult times."

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