NCAA Tournament 2017, Kentucky vs UCLA: Highlights, score and recap

Highlights, score, and recap of the Sweet 16 showdown between UCLA and Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament

The Sweet 16 gave us its best matchup, with Kentucky and UCLA playing in Memphis. In a rematch of a game UCLA won 97-92 back in December, Kentucky got its revenge, putting the Bruins away in the second half and running away to the Elite Eight.

It was a tense first half, punctuated by flurries of scoring and pockets of sloppy play. Both teams needed some time to settle into the contest, with emotions running high on both sides. UCLA staked itself to an early lead with a pair of quick 3s and easy penetration to the heart of Kentucky’s defense. The Wildcats then appeared to settle in a bit on defense, challenging well at the rim and preventing easy layups, and getting enough out of their offense to retake a small lead. The half stayed close after that, with neither team taking a lead larger than four points.

But Kentucky broke it open in the second half. Behind a Monk hot streak and some forced turnovers, they opened up a multi-score lead that just got bigger as the half continued. Though the Bruins matched them shot for shot for a while, they simply couldn’t stop them on defense.  Despite shooting about 80 percent from the field in the half’s first ten minutes, UCLA actually lost ground during the stretch. By the 8 minute mark, Kentucky’s lead was double digits, and they never looked back.

RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket

In the end, it came down to guard play. De’Aaron Fox was outstanding for Kentucky. He scored their first eight points, and finished with a team-high 38. His outstanding athleticism and speed shone throughout — he glided through and around everyone else on the floor, simply on another plane. He repeatedly got to the rim off the dribble and on off-ball cuts, finishing with 38 points and just one 3-pointer on 20 shot attempts. Malik Monk came alive just before halftime to help bury the Bruins under a deficit they wouldn’t recover from. He sank his first 3-pointer just before half, then scored 10 points in just over 4 minutes to break it open early in the second half.

Lonzo Ball and the rest of UCLA’s guards just couldn’t match up. Lonzo himself went 1-for-6 on 3-pointers, and couldn’t find a rhythm offensively. Though he dished 8 assists, he wasn’t quite up for the challenge of assuming alpha dog duties in this one. Other than a few random hot streaks from Alford and Hamilton, UCLA’s guards simply couldn’t keep up with what Kentucky’s were producing on the other end. Once Thomas Welsh, one of UCLA’s more reliable players in the early goings, fouled out with around 10 minutes left in the game, the rout was on.

Three Stars

Two of the stars reside in Kentucky’s backcourt. The tandem of De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk were excellent, almost singlehandedly winning the game for Kentucky. The Wildcats’ other expected first round pick — Bam Adebayo — didn’t score his first point until 3 minutes remained in the game, a point at which Kentucky led by double digits.

Fox repeatedly got to the rim, and scored most of his points right at the basket. He had 15 in the first half, and ended with 38 for a career and tournament high. UCLA couldn’t handle him at the point of attack; he was simply too fast, and too good. He finished 13-20 from the field, and 13-15 from the line.

Monk took a while to get going, but once he did, the game was over. After his quick run in the second half, where he scored 10 points in just over 4 minutes, Kentucky was up comfortably and UCLA wouldn’t get close again. He finished with 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting, and his three 3-pointers in the second half were key in Kentucky pulling away.

Dominique Hawkins was huge in the first half, though. While Monk was still warming up, the senior leader helped provide an outside scoring touch on a team that can lack it at times. He finished three of four from three, and was instrumental in keeping Kentucky in the game while Monk got his shot going.

Highlights

Next Game

The tour for Kentucky goes on, as they face 1-seed North Carolina for the right to go to the Final Four. It’s been an incredibly tough slate for Kentucky so far and North Carolina will mark the third time they’ve had to face a top-20 KenPom team this tournament, and second time their opponent will be in the top-10. It’ll be a high-powered matchup, similar to this one, laden with history and talent – and a rematch from earlier in the year. The NCAA tournament is being very good to us.