By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ohio's Sonny Johnson takes the ball to the hoop. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

Shots will be misfired. A rebound sometimes will bounce to an opponent.

Those things are tolerable.

Coasting, though, won't cut it. That's what made Kentucky's near-meltdown Saturday in an 83-75 victory over Ohio at U.S. Bank Arena so maddening.

"They just wanted it more in the second half than we did," UK junior forward Erik Daniels said of the Bobcats.

The difference in effort was evident, as the 3-6 Bobcats nearly willed their way to an upset of the nation's No. 20 team.

With a 19-point lead before essentially a home crowd, the Wildcats (9-3) started sleepwalking. Ohio took it to them with a 26-12 rebounding edge after halftime.

Ohio's Steve Esterkamp takes a swing at the ball while UK's Keith Bogans drives to the hole. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

UK led comfortably with 5:20 left to play, but the Bobcats went on a 15-3 run over four minutes to cut the Wildcats' lead to 76-73.

"We get a little content, relax, and hope the other team lays down and takes the loss," UK sophomore forward Chuck Hayes said.

Ohio didn't. With 1:22 left, Kentucky had to rely on Cliff Hawkins - a career 60 percent foul shooter - making two free throws to restore its lead to five points.

Ohio's Brandon Hunter, a Withrow grad who totaled 18 points and 16 rebounds, answered with a basket on the other end. Then Daniels, a Princeton grad, put back his own missed dunk to make it 80-75 with 33.5 seconds left.

Hunter drove for a dunk, but UK's Marquis Estill blocked his shot from behind. Hunter said later he thought he was fouled, but no call was made.

"I know I beat him, then the next thing I know I was laid out (knocked down)," Hunter said.

Ohio still trailed by five points with 15 seconds left when Hawkins tipped a Bobcats pass that Keith Bogans stole and converted into a 3-point play for the final margin.

"Playing four games in eight days, the fatigue hit our guys in the second half," UK coach Tubby Smith said. "It was just a murderous, tough week for us."

Kentucky's Gerald Fitch drives the lane. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

His players made no such excuses.

"We've just got to keep the intensity up the whole game," Hawkins said. "Ohio did."

Said junior Gerald Fitch, "Losing a 19-point lead, it's hard to find positives in that."

UK has employed full-court pressure defense the past three games, and it forced Ohio into 19 turnovers Saturday.

"I'm sure (Smith) will stay with it, because we've gotten nothing but good results from our press," Bogans said.

UK's field goal percentage defense was a Southeastern Conference-worst 43.8 percent entering play Saturday, and its 3-point field-goal defense of 38.6 percent also ranked last in the league. Yet after Smith's tirade about defense in practice Wednesday, UK has held Alcorn State to 34.4 percent shooting and Ohio to 40 percent.

UK shot 51.6 percent Saturday, including 58.6 percent in the second half. The Wildcats spread their scoring well, with six players totaling eight or more points.

The chief concern is how to get junior Antwain Barbour going. He was scoreless on 0-for-2 shooting.

Ohio was led by reserve forward Sonny Johnson with 24 points, with La Salle grad Steve Esterkamp adding 18.

"It's a lost opportunity for us, yes," Hunter said. "But we lost by eight to the No.20 team in the country, and we gave it our best effort."

Ohio	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Esterkamp	37	7	11	0	1	4	1	4	3	18
Harris	20	1	6	0	0	1	0	0	1	2
Barrett	21	2	3	3	4	3	1	0	3	7
Hunter	39	6	19	6	10	16	1	4	3	18
Stephens	36	1	7	1	2	1	3	3	6	3
King	6	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bridgewater	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Halbert	17	1	2	1	3	3	1	2	3	3
Johnson	23	8	16	5	5	6	1	4	0	24
Totals	200	26	65	16	25	38	8	17	19	75

Team rebounds - 4.

Kentucky	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Daniels	25	7	13	0	2	6	1	4	5	14
Hayes	27	4	6	2	3	12	2	3	3	11
Estill	23	3	6	2	4	7	1	2	4	8
Fitch	27	4	8	4	4	2	3	1	1	12
Bogans	28	7	9	3	5	2	5	1	3	21
Hawkins	22	1	3	2	2	4	7	3	3	4
Carrier	7	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cote	2	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0
Azubuike	8	2	3	0	0	1	0	1	0	5
Barbour	14	0	2	0	1	1	0	1	0	0
Camara	17	4	9	0	0	1	0	2	0	8
Totals	200	32	62	13	21	42	19	18	19	83

Team rebounds - 4.

Kentucky	41	42	-83
Ohio U.	25	50	-75

3-pointers - OU 7-19 (Esterkamp 4-5, Harris 0-2, Hunter 0-2, Stephens 0-4, King 0-1, Halbert 0-1, Johnson 3-4), UK 6-14 (Hayes 1-1, Estill 0-1, Fitch 0-2, Bogans 4-5, Hawkins 0-1, Carrier 0-2, Azubuike 1-2). Technicals - None. Officials - Patillo, Benedict, Crawford. Attendance - 14,506.