State-Journal.com - Almost too close to call

LOUISVILLE " If Louisville is ranked 18th in the country, maybe Kentucky should be 18A.

In a rivalry filled with unforgettable moments, another was added Sunday at Freedom Hall " when the Wildcats rallied from seven down with 51 seconds left to tie the game, only to see the Cardinals' Edgar Sosa drain a 3-pointer from 25 feet out with two seconds left for a 74-71 victory.

The numbers show just how close the two teams were " U of L shot 46.8 percent (22 for 47); UK shot 46.9 percent (23 for 49). The Cardinals were 19 for 23 on free throws; the Cats went 19 for 22 from the line.

"Kentucky is a never quit group," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "They did a great job of tying the game."

And the Wildcats did it behind the two stars who have carried them all season " Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks.

Patterson finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds while Meeks came through with a game-high 28 points, but they were the only UK players in double figures.

The Cardinals, by contrast, found a way to win without big games from their two leading scorers. Junior forward Earl Clark struggled mightily Sunday, but at least he was on the floor.

The same couldn't be said about starting center Samardo Samuels, a freshman limited to just 11 minutes and four points because of foul trouble.

If you had told Louisville fans before the game Clark would go 2-for-11 from the field and turn the ball over seven times and Samuels would play just 11 minutes, they would have been even gloomier than they were after the Cardinals' one-point loss to UNLV on New Year's Eve.

But Samuels and Clark's troubles just gave other players the opportunity to step up.

Freshman George Goode played 22 solid if not spectacular minutes in the middle. Senior forward Terrence Williams led the Cardinals with 19 points, followed by Sosa with 18.

After hitting just 29.6 percent from the field against UNLV, the Cardinals shot nearly 47 percent Sunday, and from 3-point range they were 11-for-20 for 55 percent.

Four players were perfect from beyond the arc " Jerry Smith with three 3s, and Preston Knowles, Kyle Kuric and Will Scott each with one.

But no one's shot was bigger than Sosa's. The end of the game was eerily similar to Louisville's loss to Texas A&M " then coached by Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie " in the NCAA tournament two seasons ago.
Sosa had played brilliantly throughout that game but missed badly on a 3-pointer at the end, and that started a stretch where he was in and out of the starting lineup, in and out of the good graces of fans and coaches.

He lost his starting job this year and in a 20-point win against UAB on Dec. 27 played just six minutes. Sosa played 13 minutes against UNLV with four turnovers and two points.

Not the kind of numbers that made you think he'd play like he did Sunday against Kentucky.

But there he was, with the game on the line, calmly sinking the shot that sent the Freedom Hall faithful into a frenzy.

"I knew Sosa wasn't going to pass it," Gillispie said. "I've seen it too many times. Michael (Porter) backed off a little. I don't think he wanted to get too close or Sosa would just drive past him.

"A 24-foot jumper with no passes, you take your chances."

Now both teams start conference play. The Cardinals open Big East play Wednesday at South Florida with some momentum after losing two of their last three games before UK.

"It would have been very difficult if we'd lost this game," Pitino said. "To play great for 38 minutes and then lose would have been devastating."

The Wildcats' next game is Saturday at home against Vanderbilt. Sunday's loss ended a six-game winning streak for UK but said more about Kentucky's potential than any of those six victories, which came against overmatched opponents.

"We fought hard, and I was proud of that fight," Gillispie said, "but our execution left a lot to be desired.

"We were a little skittish at the start, but we played better as the game went along. We just haven't played games like that."

That changes Saturday.