Kentucky now 37-0 after overwhelming West Virginia
Kentucky's Aaron Harrison drove on West Virginia's Nathan Adrian during the first half in the NCAA men's tournament regional semifinals, Thursday, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Kentucky's Andrew Harrison and West Virginia's Juwan Staten collided under the basket during the first half in the NCAA men's tournament regional semifinals, Thursday, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
CLEVELAND >> Perfect and pulverizing. Kentucky made West Virginia’s press look pathetic.
Trey Lyles scored 14 points, Andrew Harrison added 13 and the unbeaten Wildcats, chasing history and a ninth national title, rolled to a 78-39 victory over the Mountaineers on Thursday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
The tourney’s top seed and an overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets next month in Indianapolis, Kentucky (37-0) advanced to Saturday’s regional final to play third-seeded Notre Dame, an 81-70 winner over Wichita State in the other semifinal.
The Fighting Irish may need to call Rudy, consult with Digger Phelps and wake up the echoes from some of those stunning upsets in football and hoops they have pulled off in the past.
Kentucky is a monster this March.
With stunning ease, the Wildcats built a 26-point lead in the first half over the Mountaineers (25-10), who led the nation in steals and figured their full-court press would at least bother Kentucky into some turnovers. Not only did the press not work, West Virginia shot only 24.1 percent (13 of 54), including 2 of 15 from 3-point range, against the Wildcats, who resemble a forest of blue-tinted redwoods inside the paint.
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West Virginia didn’t eclipse 20 points until the 11:41 mark of the second half.
It was over long before then. At halftime, the Mountaineers had nearly as many fouls (14) as points (18) and there was no hint they would be able to cut into Kentucky’s lead. The Wildcats, seeking to become the first team to go undefeated since Indiana in 1976, seemed to be sending a message to the rest of the tournament that everyone else is playing for second place.
Five years ago in the Elite Eight, West Virginia stunned a top-seeded Kentucky team that’s a lot like this one, loaded with high school All-Americas and future NBA players. But the Wildcats weren’t going to let that happen again, and they blistered the Mountaineers in the opening 20 minutes, leaving the court with superfan/actress Ashley Judd dancing along with the thousands who made the trip north to Cleveland.
Judd then tweeted she’s staying around for a few more days.
“I think it’s okay to extend my hotel room,” she wrote.
