Bograkos' unlikely three helps KO Cats
Bomb at 0:50 keys Spartans' 71-67 triumph
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By Michael Smith
mssmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal


PHOTOS BY STEWART BOWMAN / THE C-J
UK guard Gerald Fitch wound up with three stitches in his chin after a second-half collision. He returned to the game.
UK's Keith Bogans fired over Michigan State's Alan Anderson (15) and Paul Davis in the second half for two of his season-high 23 points.


UK's Marques Estill fouled Aloysius Anagonye after the Michigan State player grabbed a rebound late in the game.


MICHIGAN STATE 71
Player min fg fga ft fta reb to a pf tp


Anderson 36 3 8 4 4 4 3 5 2 10



Anagonye 19 2 3 1 2 5 2 0 3 5



Ballinger 22 3 8 0 0 3 1 0 4 6



Hill 35 5 10 2 2 2 1 4 2 16



Torbert 8 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 3



Ager 14 2 6 0 0 2 1 1 3 5



Bograkos 27 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 5



Davis 21 4 7 4 4 5 0 0 1 13



Lorbek 15 4 7 0 1 3 2 0 2 9



Andreas 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0



Team 2



Totals 200 26 54 11 13 24 14 10 18 71








KENTUCKY 67
Player min fg fga ft fta reb to a pf tp


Hayes 23 0 3 2 2 3 2 5 3 2



Camara 32 4 11 0 0 7 2 0 3 8



Estill 26 6 9 0 1 7 0 2 4 12



Fitch 33 1 6 0 2 3 1 2 1 3



Bogans 37 7 15 6 9 2 4 2 1 23



Stockton 8 0 0 2 2 2 1 1 0 2



Cote 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0



Daniels 25 6 9 0 2 6 1 3 3 12



Azubuike 16 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 5



Team 3



Totals 200 26 56 10 18 34 14 15 17 67






Halftime -- Kentucky 40, Michigan State 40.

3-point goals -- Michigan State 8-15 (Hill 4-6, Ager 1-4, Bograkos 1-1, Davis 1-1, Torbert 1-1, Anderson 01, Ballinger 0-1), Kentucky 5-14 (Bogans 3-8, Fitch 13, Azubuike 1-2, Daniels 0-1).

Shooting percentages -- Michigan State .481, Kentucky .464.

Steals -- Michigan State 3 (Anderson 1, Davis 1, Hill 1), Kentucky 4 (Daniels 1, Fitch 1, Hayes 1, Stockton 1).

Blocked shots -- Michigan State 4 (Anderson 1, Ballinger 1, Davis 1, Hill 1). Kentucky 2 (Azubuike 1, Estill 1).

Attendance -- 23,145.



LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Michigan State sophomore guard Tim Bograkos had not attempted a three-pointer all season.

That is, until 50 seconds remained in yesterday's game against the University of Kentucky.

He drained the unlikely three-pointer from the right corner to give the No. 21ranked Spartans a two-point lead that they wouldn't relinquish in a 71-67 victory over the No. 12 Wildcats in Rupp Arena.

How unlikely? Bograkos' own coach, Tom Izzo, was asked if he'd characterize the newfound star as a good shooter.

''Uhhh, no, I really don't,'' Izzo said, drawing laughs. ''I don't mean that as an insult. He's getting better. But you know what he is? A tough competitor. Tough competitors find a way to get it done. Some rise in a situation like that, and some fall. The tough competitors will rise.''

Izzo admitted to a sudden urge to yell at Bograkos when the shot went up, but then the coach remembered that the shot clock was running down. UK's switch to a zone had confounded the Spartans momentarily, but when guard Keith Bogans sagged too far off the wing, Bograkos got a free look. His three-point shot hit nothing but net, and the Spartans (5-2) led 69-67.

''That's the biggest shot I've ever hit,'' he said. ''They were in a zone, and the man on my side left to double the ball, so I was left wide-open in the corner. I don't look to shoot often, but I was open, and fortunately the ball went in.''

The Wildcats (5-2) called a timeout and set up a play to get the ball to Bogans, who scored a season-high 23 points, including eight during a critical six-minute stretch during which UK erased a six-point deficit.

Michigan State's physical man-toman defense prevented Bogans from touching the ball initially as the Cats swung it around the perimeter. By the time he got his hands on the ball, the shot clock was running down, and he had to launch a three-point try under pressure.

The ball bounded off the back of the rim, and Michigan State's Aloysius Anagonye rebounded.

Bogans never had a chance to lower his shoulder and go to the basket with force as he had done successfully most of the second half.

''The shot clock was running down, and we had to get a shot off,'' coach Tubby Smith said. ''You'd like to have a better look than that, but you have to credit Michigan State's defense.''

The Cats knew they'd be in for a physical battle against the rugged Spartans, but they held their own inside, even winning the rebounding statistic 34-30. UK's problem was a lack of execution on offense, which prevented it from putting together much of a run in the second half.

Michigan State came out of a halftime tie at 40 with a 12-6 run to take a 52-46 lead. The Spartans often relied on a lineup of two sophomores and three freshmen in the second half, but they worked inside and out to score just enough to keep the lead. Reserve freshman center Paul Davis scored 13 points, his best game as a Spartan.

Meanwhile, Michigan State slowed the fast-starting Cats to a crawl. UK scored 29 points in the first 11 minutes, then just 22 in the next 21 minutes.

The Cats found themselves down 6055 with six minutes to play, and point guard Gerald Fitch, the team's secondleading scorer, was on the bench with three stitches in his chin.

Fitch -- who hit just 1 of 6 from the field and finished with a season-low three points, his first single-digit game -- wasn't a factor when he returned.

He had been the beneficiary of UK's strong inside game, but it never took hold against the Spartans, who pressured the entry passers and placed defenders in front of UK's post players.

''Gerald is not really a penetrator,'' Smith said. ''Michigan State did a good job of stepping out and taking away his jump shot. And he could never really turn and get around the corner and go to the basket.''

UK center Marquis Estill was forced to go to the boards when he wanted the ball, and he did so effectively, tying for game-high honors with seven rebounds.

He scored on back-to-back possessions -- once on a tip-in over his head after he somehow had managed to get turned away from the basket -- to keep the Cats close. When he again pounded the glass for a tip-in, UK was within 6665.

Bogans' drive to the basket gave the Cats the lead with 1:22 to go, just long enough for Bograkos to grab the spotlight.

''Yeah, he's on the scouting report,'' UK forward Chuck Hayes said. ''It says he hasn't hit a three-pointer or a free throw all season. I guess it was just his time.''

:) Go Big 10!