Let's Do This Again! Cats Headed To Final Four

by:Thomas Beisner03/25/12
  The Kentucky Wildcats clinched their second-straight trip to the Final Four Sunday afternoon with an 82-70 win over Baylor, setting up a rematch with those Filthy Cards from Louisville.  The Cats received 19 points from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 17 of them coming in the first half, and 12 points and 9 rebounds from sophomore forward Terrence Jones who dished out six assists in the first 20 minutes.  Freshman Anthony Davis added 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks and sophomore Doron Lamb added 14. For the first five minutes, Baylor looked to be the team everyone feared they could be.  Their length and athleticism caused the Cats to rush on offense and their versatility had the Kentucky defense confused.  But after the Bears took a 10-5 lead, Kentucky came out of a timeout composed and as dominant as they've been in this NCAA Tournament run, running away from Baylor with a 25-5 run.  From there, UK kept their foot on the gas and took a 42-22 lead into the half. The second half was pretty much the same story as the Bears tried their best to claw their way back into the game, but every run was squelched by the Cats, who continued to attack the basket and earn points at the rim and at the free throw line.  The Cats scored 35 of their 40 points on either dunks, layups or free throws in the second half - a testament to their continued focus on relentlessly attacking the Bears. The game served as a resounding reminder to those that haven't been paying attention that there's more to Kentucky's success than just being more gifted than their opponents.  The difference between Baylor and UK wasn't the talent.  It was the effort, the bond between teammates and the killer instinct that's become their trademark this season.  This team doesn't want to beat you.  They need to beat you and they're going to rip your heart out in the process.  And that's a special thing we may never see again.  Enjoy the ride. Two more...

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2024-04-25