Olivier Sarr scored 13 points and had three 3-pointers but his turnover cost UK a chance to take a potential game-winning shot. (SEC Photo)
Whether it was a foul or not on Jacob Toppin with seven seconds to play didn’t matter. Once the foul was called and Arkansas’ Jalen Tate hit two free throws Tuesday night to put the Hogs on top 81-80, Kentucky simply had to score to win.
Kentucky coach John Calipari called timeout before the free throws to go over what he wanted his team to do and surely had to go over if Tate made one or both free throws.
Davion Mintz had hit a 3-point dagger — what Calipari calls big-time shots — with 12 seconds to play to put UK in front. He had three 3-pointers.
Brandon Boston had 17 points and had made four 3-pointers for the first time this season. Center Olivier Sarr had hit three 3-pointers.
That’s why it was surprising to see Sarr dribbling the ball toward midcourt. When he stopped, he threw a soft pass that Arkansas’ Davonte Davis easily picked off to send the Cats reeling again.
What was supposed to happen?
“That ball was supposed to go to Olivier and then one of the guards and then we kind of didn’t get quite open. But we were also going to look at BJ (Boston), who was open, and we passed him up if you know what I’m saying,” Calipari said.
If you look at it, it was supposed to go to either BJ. If he’s open, throw it. He was open. We didn’t, which is OK. We threw it to Olivier. Olivier is catching it and throwing it to somebody and we’ve got our best 3-point shooters out on the corners and the wings. So, that’s what we were trying to do.
Sounded good to have the best 3-point shooters on the wings positioned to shoot but the ball also has to get to them and to expect Sarr to handle the ball in a position he was not used to and it backfired on the Cats.
“It was set up for me to take the shot. Things happen,” Boston said.
Yes, they do to this Kentucky team that once again turned a potential win into another loss.
