Alabama
Kentucky
Alabama Falls to Kentucky at Rupp Arena, 66-55
2/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By MURRAY EVANS, Associated Press Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Antwain Barbour, making his second start of the season, scored a career-high 23 points and No. 8 Kentucky beat Alabama 66-55 on Tuesday night.
Barbour, who started in place of the injured Gerald Fitch, the Wildcats' leading scorer, went 10-of-13 from the field and had five rebounds for Kentucky (17-3, 7-2 Southeastern Conference), which handed Alabama (11-9, 3-6) its fifth straight loss.
Alabama entered the game leading the SEC in 3-point shooting at 37.9 percent but the Crimson Tide finished 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) against the Wildcats. Leading scorer Kennedy Winston, who had 68 points in the Crimson Tide's previous three games, finished with 12 on 3-of-13 shooting.
Earnest Shelton scored 13 points to lead Alabama, which had won two of its previous three meetings against Kentucky, including one in Lexington.
Barbour's previous career high was 13 points, which came in his first NCAA Division I game, last season against Arizona State. He matched that just 11 1/2 minutes into Tuesday's game, as he scored Kentucky's first 13 points.
He had six points in an 11-2 second-half run as Kentucky pulled away from a two-point lead. His layup with 11:49 left put Kentucky ahead 45-34, and the Crimson Tide came no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Barbour started four games last season, but struggled with consistency and confidence after a broken hand sidelined him for more than a month.
Those struggles carried over into the first part of his senior season, but coach Tubby Smith said there was no doubt who would replace Fitch in the starting lineup when the Wildcats' leading scorer strained a ligament in his shooting hand.
Barbour scored 10 points and had a game-winning three-point play in his first start this season, a 65-64 win over No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday.
Kentucky had four turnovers on its first six possessions and started 2-of-13 from the field as Alabama took a 13-4 lead.
Barbour almost single-handedly closed that gap. The first points by a Kentucky player other than Barbour came with 8:09 left in the first half when Erik Daniels hit a 14-foot jumper to tie the game at 15.
Kentucky took the lead for good at 25-22 on a three-point play by Chuck Hayes with 3:07 left in the half. Hayes wrested the ball from Winston and drove the length of the court for a layup.
Cliff Hawkins scored 13 points and Hayes added 12 for Kentucky, which finished with only nine turnovers.
