MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After being upset at home Sunday by South Carolina, the Kentucky Wildcats spent the week emotionally bankrupt. Friday was payday, and the Wildcats wouldn't wait to cash in.
Ron Mercer dunked three seconds into the game and UK led 4-0 after another 18 seconds, as sixth-ranked Kentucky blasted off for a 92-50 rout of Auburn in its Southeastern Conference Tournament opener. UK (28-4) set a tournament record for most rebounds (56) and handed Auburn its worst loss of the season.
But for the Payback in the Pyramid, a 1 p.m. rematch today (Channel 64) against a Mississippi team that beat it in January, UK's Incredible Shrinking Lineup may be even smaller.
''We won the battle tonight, but now the war gets more difficult, because we become very thin,'' UK coach Rick Pitino said. ''As many injuries as we've had - and this is the worst year for those in my eight years here - it looks like Allen Edwards may be done for this tournament.''
The junior starting forward played just five minutes Friday before pulling himself from the lineup with back pains. Edwards twisted his back in practice this week but didn't mention it to coaches until straining it while making his lone shot Friday.
''We can't say for sure what his status is,'' Pitino said. ''With prior experience with back injuries, you have to be careful. But we got him out right away, so maybe it's possible he could come back (today).''
Sophomore guard Cameron Mills injured his foot on a collision so fierce it knocked his shoe off, but he later re-entered the game and should be available today.
Despite the dings, UK flashed top form. It made four of its first five three-point attempts and its 47 first-half points were the most it has scored against an SEC team this season.
''They came in fired up and took us out of our game immediately,'' Auburn coach Cliff Ellis said. ''They played about as well as I've ever seen a Kentucky team play.''
Pitino's two lineup changes, inserting sophomore Wayne Turner for senior Anthony Epps at point guard and senior Jared Prickett for freshman Jamaal Magloire at center, seemed to click. Pitino wanted a quicker team to stress defense and scoring, and got it.
Turner had tied his career high of 11 points by halftime and finished with 19 points and five assists. Prickett totaled eight points and 10 rebounds.
''My confidence level was
sky-high,'' Turner said. ''We were all playing aggressive and crashing the boards.''
Today's semifinal pits blue blood against new blood. While UK is defending its NCAA championship and has gone 15-1 in SEC Tournament play under Pitino, Ole Miss (20-7) is enjoying its first 20-win season in 59 years and its first SEC Western Division title.
The Rebels beat UK 73-69 on Jan. 11 in Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss beat Vanderbilt 64-62.
AUBURN (50)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Fishback 24 2-9 2-5 1-6 0 1 8
Ndiaye 19 1-5 0-0 1-1 1 5 2
Burke 15 2-4 1-2 2-3 0 5 5
Flanigan 35 6-17 2-3 1-3 2 3 14
Robinson 32 2-9 0-0 0-4 3 2 5
Smith 23 2-5 0-1 3-5 1 1 4
Williams 20 0-2 1-2 2-2 0 2 1
Jefferson 20 5-8 0-1 2-6 0 3 10
Caldwell 5 0-2 1-2 0-1 0 0 1
Chilliest 7 0-0 0-4 0-0 0 1 0
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TOTALS 200 20-61 7-20 12-31 7 23 50
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Percentages: FG-.328, FT-.350. 3-Point Goals:
3-17, .176 (Fishback 2-8, Flanigan 0-1, Robinson
1-4, Smith 0-2, Williams 0-1, Caldwell 0-1). Team
rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 4 (Fishback, Ndiaye,
Burke, Jefferson). Turnovers: 22 (Flanigan 4,
Fishback 3, Jefferson 3, Robinson 3, Burke 2,
Smith 2, Caldwell, Chilliest, Ndiaye, Williams).
Steals: 7 (Ndiaye 2, Smith 2, Caldwell, Robinson,
Williams).
KENTUCKY (92)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Edwards 5 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 2
Padgett 21 3-9 6-7 4-8 1 2 13
Prickett 27 3-6 2-3 4-10 2 1 8
Turner 36 7-14 5-6 2-5 5 0 19
Mercer 29 8-13 2-2 1-5 1 2 21
Magloire 15 2-5 1-4 4-7 2 4 5
Epps 27 3-7 4-4 1-6 2 3 11
Mohammed 21 2-10 3-4 5-9 2 5 7
Mills 12 2-5 0-2 1-3 0 2 6
Masiello 7 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
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TOTALS 200 31-72 23-32 22-54 16 19 92
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Percentages: FG-.431, FT-.719. 3-Point Goals:
7-20, .350 (Padgett 1-6, Mercer 3-6, Epps 1-3,
Mohammed 0-1, Mills 2-3, Masiello 0-1). Team
rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 4 (Turner, Magloire,
Mohammed, Masiello). Turnovers: 16 (Magloire 4,
Mills 3, Prickett 3, Epps 2, Edwards, Mohammed,
Padgett, Turner). Steals: 14 (Prickett 5, Epps 3,
Turner 3, Mohammed 2, Mills).
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Auburn 25 25 - 50
Kentucky 47 45 - 92
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Technical fouls: Auburn 1 (Flanigan). Officials:
John Clougherty, Tom Lopes, R T Day.
Tournament stories
PITINO SEEKS BETTER SHOOTING, FEWER FOULS March 7, 1997
CATS START TOURNEY AS PAPER TIGERS March 6, 1997
CATS HAVE NINE LINEUPS March 5, 1997
SEC FINAL: UK-CAROLINA? March 3, 1997
