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ST LOUIS (Ticker) -- Kentucky found a way to put aside its turmoil in its opening game in the NCAA Tournament. Keith Bogans scored 21 points as fourth-seeded Kentucky opened up a huge lead and never looked back in an 83-68 victory over No. 13 Valparaiso in an East Region first-round matchup. Kentucky (21-9) will meet Tulsa in the second round on Saturday. The Wildcats were coming off a listless loss to South Carolina in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. Kentucky guard Gerald Fitch missed that contest and served his third suspension of the year for missing curfew. There were no signs of any trouble on Thursday as Tayshaun Prince's three-point play gave the Wildcats a 20-11 lead with 10:24 left in the first half. Valparaiso (25-8) scored the next five points before Kentucky took complete control. Prince capped a 10-0 run with a basket for a 30-16 lead and Bogans drained a 3-pointer for a 41-21 cushion with 1:26 remaining. "It was a good all-around game, a good balance game," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. "We were shooting the ball well. We did those things that I thought were effective." Bogans led the Wildcats in scoring last season but had been mired in a season-long slump, averaging only 10.9 points. But the junior guard snapped out of his funk by making 6-of-10 shots, including four 3-pointers. "I always go into games thinking I'm going to have a good shooting day," Bogans said. "This shows what type of team we can be when we show up for 40 minutes." Valparaiso got within 72-62 with a 9-0 run, but Bogans converted a pair of foul shots with just over two minutes left to seal the victory. Prince scored 13 points and Marquis Estill netted 12 on 5-of-6 shooting off the bench. Bogans added six rebounds as the Wildcats held a 40-32 edge on the glass. Raitis Grafs led the Crusaders with 21 points. Leading scorer Lubos Barton, who entered averaging 15.2 points, was never able to get untracked and had just 10 points -- only two in the first half while going up against Prince. "He forced me to drive inside, and every time I threw up the ball, I had my shots contested," Barton said. "He's not as quick as me, but with his long arms he (can) step back a little and still contest my shots." Kentucky's pressure defense unnerved the experienced Crusaders, who committed 19 turnovers. Barton had five miscues and made just 2-of-9 shots. "Those 19 turnovers were a result of Kentucky's good pressure game," Crusaders coach Homer Drew said. "They have great pressure on the ball and (Cliff) Hawkins is one of the best defensive players we've seen all year." Prince had an uncharacteristic poor day shooting the basketball. The 6-9 senior forward missed all six 3-point attempts and made just 5-of-14 shots overall. Fitch apparently is back in Smith's good graces after coming off the bench for six points and four steals in 20 minutes. The Wildcats' held a 24-15 edge in bench points. "This was the toughest season I've had in more than 20 years of coaching," Smith said. "I am confident in who I am, having confidence in my players, making the sacrifices as a team. I can't say enough about these young men." Valparaiso, which made its sixth NCAA appearance in seven years, finished the season with a school-record 25 victories. The Crusaders' surprising run to the "Sweet 16" in 1998 also ended in St. Louis. The Wildcats posted a double-digit victory in the first round for the first time since 1999. |
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