Wall leads Kentucky

Local Sports

Discussion

November 24, 2009

Anonymous The Daily Independent Tue Nov 24, 2009, 08:16 PM EST

CANCUN, Mexico — Once John Wall gained his footing, not even a warped court could slow down Kentucky.

The heralded freshman found his form in the second half and proved too much to handle in the open floor as the No. 5 Wildcats raced past Cleveland State 73-49 on Tuesday in the Cancun Challenge at the Moon Palace Resort.

Wall scored a team-high 15 points, including 11 after halftime, as he zipped in and out of the Cleveland State defense. The nation's top-rated recruit last year repeatedly took charge with the ball, drawing trips to the free-throw line or setting up teammates for open looks at the basket.

The game was played in unconventional surroundings, with the resort's main ballroom being converted into a makeshift gymnasium.

Chandeliers hung from the low ceiling, two electronic scoreboards were connected to the ceiling by wire cables, and a food buffet sat just a few feet off the end of one baseline. Sections of the hardwood floor had gaps several inches wide and the baseline was a jagged line where the floor did not match up.

The game was chippy and ragged from the start, with both teams talking trash and officials whistling 24 fouls in the first half. A late 3-pointer by 6-foot-10 forward Josh Harrellson stemmed a late Cleveland State run and gave Kentucky a 35-27 lead at the break.

Kentucky (5-0) took control early in the second half when freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins hit a 3 as the shot clock expired, then made five free throws on one possession, aided by an intentional foul called on D'Aundray Brown for grabbing Wall and pulling him to the floor on a breakaway.

By the time Cleveland State (3-2) called a timeout with 13:08 remaining, Kentucky had outscored the Vikings 18-4 in the second half to open a 22-point advantage.

Cousins was whistled for an technical foul for throwing an intentional elbow at Cleveland State's Jared Cunningham with 3:25 remaining after an official warned Cunningham for shoving Cousins in the back seconds earlier.

Kentucky won despite preseason All-American Patrick Patterson finishing with only nine points and five rebounds, both well below his season averages of 19 points and 12.3 rebounds. Patterson played only one minute in the second half but did not appear to have an injury.

Cleveland State was led by Brown's 10 points. Cousins added 14 points and seven rebounds for Kentucky.

Text Only

Local Sports

Full speed ahead for Fleming
Half-sacks are recognized as official statistics in football. How about a half-dunk in basketball?

February 11, 2012
Ashland rolls over Johnson Central
Ashland makes chaos look good — real good.

February 11, 2012
Vikings turn back inspired Lions
State runner-up Rowan County is getting everybody’s best shot around the 16th Region this season.

February 11, 2012
Fairview holds off East Carter, 55-48
For Fairview coach Derek Cooksey, the student finally defeated the teacher.

February 11, 2012
Pairings set for 62nd District
The girls and boys 62nd District Tournament pairings are set for the week of Feb. 20. All games are to be played at Elliott County High School.

February 11, 2012
Boyd tightens up, downs Lady Devils
Boyd County girls basketball coach Pete Fraley felt inclined to call for a maintenance check when Russell climbed to within six points of his Lady Lions in the third quarter.

February 11, 2012
Tomcat wrestlers head to regionals with momentum
When the high school wrestling season opened, Ashland coach Tony Love didn’t know what to expect.

February 10, 2012
Fourth-quarter getaway
Cody Stamper swiped the ball away, tipping it to a teammate who had a clear view of the landscape.

February 10, 2012
AARON SNYDER: ‘Untouchables’ can be touched
On Tuesday night, I was just another awestruck observer of the show, just another dumbstruck face in the crowd.

February 9, 2012
Ashland’s Whetsel signs to play at KCU
Turns out, Kentucky Christian University has what Ryan Whetsel wanted all along.
Namely, a football program not far away that provides an opportunity to earn playing time right away. And just as importantly, a nursing program to help him reach career goals.

February 9, 2012
More Local Sports Headlines

Local Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Wall leads Kentucky

Site Map

Contact Us