Kentucky ended its six-game skid on Saturday with a 78-73 victory over the state of Mississippi, and all of that was dramatic. John Calipari was kicked out of the game after winning two quick techniques in the second half; redshirt freshman Dontaie Allen had a Stephen Curry-style performance; and two extra periods were necessary to set the final score.
Calipari’s self-ejection may have been the catalyst the UK needed to start a race and break the losing streak. The Wildcats were losing by six points in the middle of the second half when he complained about a non-call that led to his being kicked. Mississippi’s subsequent free throws increased the UK’s deficit to nine, but the Wildcats quickly recovered a 7-0 streak and ended the second period with 15-6 post-ejection runs to force OT.
So things went crazy. Allen, a redshirt freshman who played only 19 minutes in total throughout the season – scored the best of the game (and his career) 23 points off the bench. Allen hit 7 out of 11 in the 3-point range and hit 6 out of 9 shots from the bottom of the sea in the second half and in extra time periods.
Kentucky’s weakness throughout the season was the perimeter shooting – or lack thereof – and Allen’s pedigree as a sniper allowed him to become a kind of mythical deity among Kentucky fans. Even so, Calipari insisted that the domestic product was not ready for its moment and that it may arrive soon. Now it seems that the UK’s biggest weakness may have been addressed with a performance that cannot be ignored and a talent that can no longer be put aside.
“I can’t do things for children that they have to do on their own,” said Calipari after Allen’s game. “Like, Dontaie had to do this. He had to work his way. And now he won that place.”
No team ever made the NCAA Tournament after starting 1-6 – Kentucky’s record before Saturday’s victory – but neither team has Kentucky’s talent and potential either. Allen will not be a 23 point per night player, but his threat as a 3 point scorer and spacer may well change the dynamics of this team for the better. Too early to say. But 2-6 is much more palatable than 1-7, and momentum is a dangerous drug that Kentucky now has – perhaps for the first time in the entire season – in swords.
“We are 1-0,” said Calipari. “We used pre-season to prepare for the championship game. And you know what? It got us ready.”