CRAWFORD | Good second half can't get Kentucky over the hump in 75-70 loss to Mizzou

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Had it not been for everything that went before, for all the other losses, the squandered opportunities, the crunch-time disappointments, Kentucky’s 75-70 loss at No. 18 Missouri on Wednesday night wouldn’t have been so deflating.

Kentucky was coming off a short COVID-19 layoff and left a key contributor, Jacob Toppin, at home with an illness. It had missed four days of practice and got off to a slow start, which isn’t uncommon in that situation. The Wildcats trailed by 13 at halftime.

Coach John Calipari told his players: "You’re better than that. Let’s go. Let’s step on the gas, we’re going to go."

And they did. Kentucky (5-11, 4-5) stormed back to cut its deficit to 5 in the opening couple of minutes and got within a single possession on multiple occasions. But it never got the lead and couldn’t get the big play it needed to avoid a second straight loss.

In the end, Kentucky shot 59.8% in the second half, 60% from 3-point range. It out-shot Missouri, made the same number of 3-pointers and outrebounded the Tigers. It did, however, get doubled up from the free-throw line, 18 made free throws to 9, and that wound up being the difference.

As a result, Calipari has to go back to work.

"I was hoping we’d get out of here with a win," Calipari said. "... Everybody can say what this team is. I’m with them every day. Let’s open it up and drive it. How did that look? I’m with them every day. We’re trying a lot of different things. Playing faster was really good, we just didn’t make any baskets. Now we settle to who we are, which is let’s throw the ball to the post and play off of that. We can’t play a whole game like that. But basically that’s what it came down to."

After the final media timeout, Kentucky trailed by 3 with 3:47 left. Calipari has talked about his team’s problems in the final four minutes of games, and they showed up again Wednesday.

After a pair of Missouri free throws put the Tigers up 5, Kentucky turned it over on a botched lob pass to Isaiah Jackson. After two more free throws put Missouri up 7, Kentucky turned it over again. Soon, Missouri was up 9 with just under two minutes to play, and that was that.

"I think they all want to win, but they still want to win on their terms," Calipari said. "... We did enough to give ourselves a chance, then an ugly turnover, a decision, a bad (play) call by me. We’re still learning. I’m still learning about this team."

Kentucky will need to learn in a hurry with Tennessee visiting this weekend. But in the end, their lack of guard play doesn’t make prospects for a revival all that bright. The Wildcats had 17 turnovers Wednesday, which Missouri turned into 19 points. The Tigers also held Kentucky to just a single second-chance basket.

Davion Mintz led Kentucky with 18 points. Keion Brooks added 10. Missouri got 26 from guard Dru Smith.