Lance Ware provided necessary first-half boost for Kentucky
Saying that a player who finished with just a single point was a necessary factor in a win might sound like we’re embellishing, but that’s not the case at all. In a 98-69 drumming of North Carolina on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Lance Ware provided nine first-half spot minutes in place of a foul-troubled Oscar Tshiebwe that made it feel like no substitution had happened at all.
Okay, so maybe that last part is a bit of an exaggeration, but Ware did everything that head coach John Calipari could have asked for–and then some. The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward made his first appearance at the 9:08 mark of the first half with Kentucky ahead 23-8. From the moment he checked, Ware brought the energy.
The ‘Cats were in an early groove thanks to Sahvir Wheeler’s bounce-back performance and Tshiebwe’s seven quick rebounds. But when the UK big man was tagged with this second foul and Ware was soon brought onto the floor, North Carolina could have taken full advantage.
Luckily for Kentucky, Ware was having none of it. He played the rest of the way in the first half, collecting four rebounds and decimating UNC’s Dawson Garcia shot with this forceful rejection. At halftime, UK was still ahead by double-digits despite Tshiebwe playing just seven minutes.
North Carolina’s star big man, Armando Bacot, was a force in the paint all throughout the opening 20 minutes. He poured in nine of the Tarheels’ first 11 points before Ware could even check into the ball game. Once he did, Bacot would add eight more points to finish the first half, four of them coming via free throws. Ware gave up some talent with Tshiebwe on the bench, but he sure didn’t give up any physicality.
Bacot had to work for everything against a determined Ware, who was not going to allow any easy free space.
He didn’t provide nearly as much production in the second half, but it wasn’t needed. With a 40-29 halftime lead, Tshiebwe (and Wheeler) went right back to work out of the break as Kentucky cruised to a 29-point victory. Ware finished with a final statline of one point, four rebounds, one assist, one block, and four fouls in a season-high 14 minutes.
It won’t go down as one of his best games on paper, but those who watched his relentless effort know just how important he was during a critical stretch of a must-win matchup.
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