’Cats sign up for another home win

Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 7:00 pm

LEXINGTON. (AP) — As motivation to keep the Rupp Arena crowd rowdy, Kentucky coach John Calipari has said when the Wildcats lose home games, he won’t stick around to sign autographs.
Three years into his tenure, he’s still signed after every home game.
Terrence Jones had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 1 Kentucky to a 77-62 victory over Mississippi on Saturday, the Wildcats’ 50th consecutive win at home.
“I made an executive decision with the radio group outside, the 9,000 people that stay after,” Calipari said, referring to the fans that stick around to hear Calipari’s interview on the postgame radio show. “If I walk in there after an ‘L,’ no balls get signed. So now I’ll be out there signing 200 basketballs before I leave the building.”
The Wildcats (26-1, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) are 49-0 at home under head coach John Calipari as part of the nation’s longest active home winning streak.
At one point in the first half, the Rebels led 31-29. But as soon as they did, Darius Miller tied the game back up with a soaring dunk over Reginald Buckner. The one-handed slam woke Kentucky’s notorious home crowd back up, and the Cats went on a 14-3 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes.
Miller, a senior, is the only player or coach on Kentucky’s bench that’s been a part of all 50 games in the home win streak.
The last time the Wildcats lost a home game was March 4, 2009. Billy Gillispie was the head coach, and Kentucky lost 90-85 to Georgia.
Alabama 62, Tennessee 50
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Trevor Lacey scored 18 points and had four steals to lead Alabama over Tennessee on Saturday.
Trevor Releford finished with 13 points off the bench for the Crimson Tide (17-9, 6-6 Southeastern Conference), who ended Tennessee’s four-game win streak. Andrew Steele had 10 points and seven assist.
The game was tied at 32-32 after Jarnell Stokes’ three-point play with 17:14 left in the second half. But Alabama answered with a 20-3 run to take control of the contest, claiming a 52-35 lead.
Releford scored nine points during the run for the Crimson Tide, who moved into a tie with Tennessee and LSU for fifth place in the conference.
Published in The Messenger 2.20.12