By KEITH TAYLOR, Kentucky Today
LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) – It looked like the old days for Kentucky.
The Wildcats ended the regular season with an impressive 92-64 rout over South Carolina on Saturday at the Rupp Arena. The home finish ended a roller coaster race that hit a straight stretch against the Gamecocks.
‘We improved and made some shots, ”said Kentucky coach John Calipari. “It’s a goodbye for us.”
Now that the regular season is over, Kentucky (9-15, 8-9 Southeastern Conference) and South Carolina (6-14, 4-12) will compete in the league tournament that starts Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Kentucky graduate Davion Mintz said the Wildcats are looking forward to the postseason.
“(Victory) helps,” said Mintz. “It is never too late. God is real and things happen for a reason. We have a chance to go there and play for 40 minutes and it is never too late. We will see next week.”
In an effort to leverage his team that entered the competition with a two-game losing streak after defeats to Florida and Mississippi last week, Calipari changed his starting lineup, replacing Jacob Toppin in place of playmaker Devin Askew.
BJ Boston set the tone by hitting three consecutive points, while Kentucky scored 12 of the first 16 points. Boston led four double-digit Wildcats with 21 points and hit six long shots.
“He never lost the fight,” said Calipari. “This thing has been difficult for him.”
Although Boston gave an initial boost, it was Mintz who gave the proverbial knockout with five points out of 3 in the first five minutes of the second half. Mintz did three consecutive treys to give the Wildcats a 55-36 lead with 15 minutes remaining. Like Boston, Mintz got six points out of 3 and finished with 20 points.
“That was great for me because I didn’t train all week because of an injured ankle,” said Mintz, who added five rebounds and made seven assists. “Having that feeling and going crazy like that was great for me. “
Mintz said he also felt at ease as the team’s guard and was happy to give more support to the Wildcats as a leader on the backcourt.
“I’m a natural there (on the dot),” he said. “It’s a different feeling and it’s been a while since I played (the point). When the ball is in my hands and I grab some belongings, I just hit it back. I’m comfortable wherever I play. “
Overall, Kentucky hit 13 long shots, with eight of them in the second half. The Wildcats complemented the exterior shot with a solid presence on the crossbar. Olivier Sarr added 15 points, followed by Isaiah Jackson with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Calipari cleared the bench in the last five minutes, with Cam’Ron Fletcher and Zan Payne scoring two points each. It was Fletcher’s first appearance since losing to North Carolina on December 19.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Jackson. “We needed a big (break). It was great to just sit back and enjoy the game. “
Keith Taylor is a sports editor for Kentucky Today. Talk to him at [email protected] or twitter @ keithtaylor21