Southeastern Conference Tournament Opening Round: In the opening game of the SEC Tournament, No. 4E Kentucky was able to overcome an early 21-11 deficit against No. 5W Alabama and go on a 13-0 run on their way to a 79-67 victory. Randolph Morris had a spectacular game, shooting 8-of-10 from the field and finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford also had significant contributions, finishing with 17 and 16 points respectively. Richard Hendrix led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 21 points, while Alonzo Gee added 15 in the defeat.
No. 3W Arkansas used a 22-8 run in the second half against No. 6E South Carolina to separate from the Gamecocks in an 82-52 win. Early in the second half, South Carolina was able to fight back, from seven points down at the half, to cut the Razorback lead to just two. Arkansas then went on the 22-8 run and did not look back, cruising to an 82-52 victory. Darian Townes and Gary Ervin both shot 7-of-9 from the field and had 16 points apiece for the Hogs. Brandon Wallace was the star for the Gamecocks with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Arkansas will move on to play No. 2E Vanderbilt Friday.
No. 5E Georgia earned the right to play top-ranked Florida in the next round with an 80-65 win vs. No. 4W Auburn. Georgia had one moment of weakness as they trailed early, following a 10-0 run by the Tigers. The Bulldogs quickly answered with a 10-0 run of their own. The two teams traded baskets, but Georgia would go on yet another 10-0 run before the half. This time, it was for good, as the Tigers could not seem to keep the deficit under 10 for the rest of the game. Levi Stukes was the star for Georgia with 22 points, including six three-pointers. Josh Dollard was the leading scorer for Auburn with 13, but four other Tigers finished in double-digits.
No. 6W LSU off pulled the biggest upset of the tournament thus far by knocking off No. 3E Tennessee 76-67 in overtime. LSU was up 62-57 in the second half with about a minute left before Tennessee completed a 7-2 run, capped off by a Chris Lofton tip-in with 12 seconds left to tie the game at 64-64. JaJuan Smith tried for a game-winning shot at the buzzer, but it was just short. In overtime, Tennessee opened with a basket from Wayne Chism, but aside from a free throw, those would be the only points Tennessee would score as the Tigers outscored the Volunteers 12-3 in the extra period. Glen Davis had a spectacular night, finishing with 25 points, including 22 in the second half and overtime. The Tigers move on to play No. 2W Ole Miss in the quarterfinals Friday. [3/08/07]
