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Kentucky, Vanderbilt earn trips to SEC title game - USA TODAY

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Kentucky, Vanderbilt earn trips to SEC title game - USA TODAY
Mar 11th 2012, 00:05

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – If John Calipari's top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats encounter late-game adversity in the NCAA tournament, they'll know how to handle it.

  • Kentucky's Doron Lamb, right, working against Florida's Erving Walker, scored 16 points in the Wildcats' 74-71 victory.

    By Chris Graythen, Getty Images

    Kentucky's Doron Lamb, right, working against Florida's Erving Walker, scored 16 points in the Wildcats' 74-71 victory.

By Chris Graythen, Getty Images

Kentucky's Doron Lamb, right, working against Florida's Erving Walker, scored 16 points in the Wildcats' 74-71 victory.

Anthony Davis had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kentucky held off Florida 74-71 on Saturday in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

"I've got this team that has that will to win. They want to win. They have great pride," said Calipari, whose team has trailed in the second half of each of its first two SEC tournament games and never led either by more than single digits.

"We're just really a young team that — every one of these experiences is good for my team."

Terrence Jones added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (32-1), who've won 24 in a row and play in Sunday's tournament final against the winner of Mississippi and Vanderbilt in Saturday's other semifinal.

Doron Lamb scored 16 points and Marquis Teague added 15, with each hitting a pair of key free throws in the last 15 seconds to secure the win against a Florida team which shot 48%, including 11 of 22 from three-point range.

"We know people are going to give us their best shot every game, especially coming down to tournament time," Teague said. "It really doesn't matter how much you win by. We just want to make sure we get a win."

Calipari was particularly pleased by the way Teague, who also had five assists, responded to a chat in the coach's hotel room Friday night, hours after the freshman point guard had managed only two points in a close victory over LSU.

"I just told him again, 'You can't play to score because that hurts our team, but you have to pick your spots and score in transition layups to keep them honest if they don't play you (to shoot),' " Calipari said. "It's hard playing point guard for us. … He was outstanding."

Erik Murphy had a career-high 24 points, on 9-of-12 shooting, and nearly lifted Florida (23-10) to the upset with nine points in the final minutes. Bradley Beal added 20 points, but it was not enough to prevent the Gators from falling to 0-3 against the Wildcats this season.

"We made some shots, we played pretty good defense for the most part," Murphy said. "With these two teams, at this stage of the season, meeting for the third time, we pretty much know each other, so I think that's what kept it real close."

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 10 points for Kentucky, which shot 45% (27 of 60) and outrebounded Florida 39-25. The Wildcats grabbed 16 offensive rebounds.

There was a significant disparity in free throws, with Kentucky hitting 15 of 20 and Florida going 2-for-2.

"I don't understand how, in a game like that, we get to the free throw line two times … when you see from our bench in the second half, (Florida forward) Patric Young getting pushed in the back constantly, constantly, constantly, and there's just no whistle," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "To me, it's really hard to overcome 20 free throws to two. … I'm not saying we didn't foul them. … But, I mean, we got to the free throw line two times?"

Florida led 56-51 on Young's jump hook with 10:43 to go, but the Gators' offense suddenly lost its rhythm.

Florida went more than six minutes without scoring while the Wildcats used a 14-0 run to surge in front 65-56.

Jones hit a three and added a follow-up one-handed jam of Davis' missed jumper during the spurt. As his three swirled through the hoop, Jones turned to the boisterous and heavily pro-Kentucky crowd, made the hand signal for a three and held it to his face, looking through the circle formed by his thumb and index finger.

"I'm just trying to win and if we look like we're a little out of place, I just try to get everybody together and calm everybody down," Jones said. "There's a lot of guys that it's their first time being here and I was here last year, so I just try to show that leadership and just show everybody that we still got the control if we play our game."

Just when it appeared the Gators were teetering on collapse, Murphy scored seven straight points to pull Florida to 65-63.

Davis' putback after Teague's missed free throw gave Kentucky a 68-63 lead, but Beal responded with a quick three from several feet behind the arc to make it 68-66 in a back-and-forth finish.

Florida shot close to 60% through the first 15 minutes and did not trail once until the final seconds of the first half.

Beal hit a three to open the game and Murphy made two more soon after, and the Gators hit five of their first eight attempts from deep, with Beal's second putting Florida ahead 31-21.

Florida led 39-32 on Erving Walker's layup with 4:25 left in the half, but Kentucky's defense tightened up after that, not allowing the Gators another point before halftime.

Lamb's three ignited an 8-0 run to close the period.

Davis, who had only one point in the first half of Friday's victory over LSU, had a much better start against Florida, and Kentucky needed it. He made four of his first six shots for 10 points, including a three that gave Kentucky its first lead of the game at 40-39 15 seconds before halftime.

Vanderbilt downs Ole Miss to earn berth in title game

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — John Jenkins scored 23 points, Brad Tinsley added 12 and Vanderbilt beat Mississippi 65-53 in the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals on Saturday.

It's the first trip to the SEC championship game for Vanderbilt (23-10) since 1951, when the Commodores beat Kentucky 61-57. They've finally got another chance at a title thanks to timely outside shooting from Jenkins and Tinsley, who combined to hit five three-pointers in the second half.

After a cold first half, Vanderbilt hit 50% (6-for-12) from three-point range in the second half.

Vanderbilt outrebounded Ole Miss 36-29. Lance Goulbourne added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Commodores, who will play top-ranked Kentucky on Sunday.

Ole Miss (20-13) briefly took a 32-31 lead early in the second half, but Vanderbilt eventually buried the Rebels with well-timed three-pointers and relentless defense.

The Rebels were led by Jarvis Summers, who scored 15 points. LaDarius White added 13.

Ole Miss had the pace it wanted from the opening tip — a deliberate, half-court game that kept it close.

The Rebels have been a difficult matchup for teams all season despite having serious deficiencies on the offensive end, making up for it with defense, rebounding and sheer hustle. It allowed them to get past Auburn and Tennessee in the first two rounds of the tournament, but even coach Andy Kennedy has admitted the energy expended on a nightly basis makes it a very difficult way to win consistently.

Neither team shot well in the first half, but Jenkins hit a pair of late baskets, including a three-pointer, to push Vanderbilt ahead 25-23.

Ole Miss took a brief 32-31 lead on Holloway's free throw with 16:12 remaining, but it appeared the Rebels simply ran out of their usual boundless energy. They failed to close on shooters like Jenkins, who hit a pair of crucial shots from beyond that arc, including one that put Vanderbilt in front 49-40 with less than nine minutes remaining.

Ole Miss made one last run, pulling within 49-44 with 7:24 remaining, but then it was Tinsley's turn to hit a few big three-pointers, and Vanderbilt went on an 8-0 run to put the game away.

The Rebels do have some hope for an NCAA tournament at-large bid, though they appear to be a longshot. Kennedy has not been to the tournament in any of his first five seasons and the program hasn't qualified since 2002, which is the longest drought in the SEC.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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