Final Four bound - Cats will a win over Irish, 68-66

By: LARRY VAUGHT

CLEVELAND — Kentucky had relied on defense to get in position for a historic season, but against Notre Dame it wasn’t working that way.

With a Fina Four berth on the line, the Irish kept scoring and got points on eight straight possessions to take a 66-64 lead with 2 minutes, 33 seconds to go here Saturday night.  However, when it mattered most, the Cats dug down, got three straight stops and pulled out a 68-66 win to keep their historic season alive.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who was unstoppable the second half and finished with 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting, tied the game 66-66 with 1:12 to play. Kentucky got its second straight stop when it forced a shot clock violation with 33.6 seconds to go thanks to a blocked shot by Cauley-Stein and Andrew Harrison, who had struggled much of the game, drove inside and got fouled with just 6.0 seconds left. He made both free throws to put UK on top.

Notre Dame was out of timeouts and Jerian Grant rushed the ball down the court. He was forced into the corner by Willie Cauley-Stein, who should be the national defensive player of the year, and Harrison and his desperation 3-pointer was not close to going in.

“They did a great job kind of doubling him. He went for the win. I don’t fault him for that,” said Notre Dame coach Mike Brey. “I don’t think he could turn the corner. Even shots he took (late) that were empty, you could say get to the basket but it is hard. There is not a lot of room. They doubled him out of bounds and did a great job riding him to the end

“We couldn’t get the key stop to get to overtime. That is where you lose the game. Harrison made a great drive.”

That drive and stop touched off a wild celebration on the court by the Wildcats — and in the stands by the Big Blue faithful who had to have thought UK’s chance at perfection was gone. Instead, UK will take a 38-0 mark to Indianapolis and play Wisconsin — the same team it beat in the Final Four semifinals last year -- again Saturday.

Kentucky coach John Calipari knew his team had survived a historic battle.

“We did not play well, but we figured out a way to win. We just have a will to win,” said Calipari. “They do have a will to win. They will make plays. Just have to keep the game close enough so they can.”

Much of that will came from Towns, who had just two points and one rebound in the previous game. This time he was unstoppable except for geting into foul trouble. He was the go-to guy that championship teams have to have.

Calipari said Towns’ play was “unbelievable” on offense even if he did struggle defensively to stop Notre Dame’s Zach Auguste, who had 20 points and nien boards.

“My staff wanted me to take him out (because of defense), but he was the only guy scoring,” Calipari said.

“We just had a lot of confidence in me. I had a bad game last game but my brothers had me. My father taught me it is not about the last game but about winning,” Towns, who brought the Midwest Region trophy with him to the interview room after the game, said. “Notre Dame is a great team, one of the best we have played. They were so efficient offensively.”

They were also confident they could beat Kentucky and never backed down or wilted like most teams have, especially during a 13-4 run in the second half that wiped out a five-point UK lead.

“We really thought we had a great chance as the game was going on,” Brey said. “We just felt we could win. We gave ourselves a chance. Really disappointing because we had a chance to win it. But we were tired at the end. We were fatigued. Their length at times shrinks the court and it takes a toll. The size does get to you and their size got us at the end. You just have to give them credit. They made some big plays and timely shots.”

They did as UK closed the game by making its last nine shots, another sign of this team’s will to win.

Kentucky shot 75 percent (15 of 20) from the field the second half thanks in large part to Towns, who was 8-for-8. Kentucky got a huge 3-pointer from Aaron Harrison — who else after last year’s NCAA run — gave the Cats a 64-63 lead with 3:13 left and then Towns and Andrew Harrison delivered in the clutch.

It was not a marquee game for the Harrisons. Andrew was 0-for-2 from the field and had two turnovers, but got to the foul line eight times and made seven. Aaron, who dislocated the ring finger on his left hand Thursday, was just 2-for-7, but he got a dunk with about five minutes to play and then the deep 3.

Devin Booker was the most efficient UK player offensively other than Towns. He had 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

Cauley-Stein had six points, four rebounds and two blocks but Brey said his constant pressure was hard to match. “He is just something special,” Brey said.

Calipari said to give Notre Dame credit.

“They came right at us. They were not afraid. If we don’t make some plays down the stretch, they are going to Indy,” Calipari said.

The players said it was “desperation” time at the end when they finally buckled down on defense to get the stops needed to extend their unbeaten season. But Calipari never sense his team played desperate.

“My mind is never on we may lose,” the Kentucky coach said. “My whole mindset is how do we win the game. I want them to now we are not playing not to lose. We play to win. I was just trying every combination I could to keep us in the game.”

Calipari said the players didn’t need a close game from a team he says is tougher and better defensively than given credit for to understand it is not unbeatable.

“We know we are not perfect. We are undefeated, but not perfect,” he said.

Maybe but all that matters now is that UK is still unbeaten with a chance for a perfect season and ninth national championship, something that seemed unlikely before the UK defense saved its best for last.By: