Wildcats' young guns stop USC

COLUMBIA -- Kentucky and South Carolina have the two youngest basketball teams this season in the Southeastern Conference. One looked like it Saturday. One did not.

Led by highly regarded freshman Brandon Knight's 23 points, the Wildcats were dominant most of the evening in toppling the surprising division-leading Gamecocks, 67-58, in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans at Colonial Life Arena.

"I hope our young team learned a lesson today," said USC coach Darrin Horn, who cautioned the Gamecocks (12-6, 3-2 SEC) this week about a Kentucky team that would be hungry after losing its first two SEC road games, including Tuesday night at Alabama.

The Wildcats were precisely that, controlling play on both ends of the court as they grabbed a 10-point halftime lead that extended to as many as 18 in the second half before a late USC run made it somewhat close.

Even with its youth, junior Darius Miller's 18 points proved big for the Wildcats (15-4, 3-2).

Horn, a Lexington, Ky., native, was previously 3-1 against Kentucky -- including last season's upset of the then-No. 1 Wildcats. Saturday had the same pregame sizzle -- with No. 1 prep prospect Jadeveon Clowney, and other football recruits, in the crowd -- but the game did not follow suit, for the most part.

Gamecocks senior center Sam Muldrow, playing the most consistent basketball of his career, finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds -- his sixth double-double of the season. Muldrow was the only thing keeping the Gamecocks in the game for long stretches, including a first half that Horn characterized as "not good enough."

"He was unbelievable tonight," Horn said of Muldrow. "What didn't he do tonight? … He played like a first-team all-SEC guy, which is what we think he is.

"But we had one guy that played like that. It's hard for you to be your best when that's the case."

For the second consecutive game, freshman point guard Bruce Ellington dealt with foul trouble. The Berkeley High product played just eight minutes in the first half, sitting the final nine minutes after picking up his second foul. He got his third foul two minutes into the second half. His fourth came 3 1/2 minutes later on a technical foul.

Ellington tossed the ball at Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins, the 6-6 junior who frustrated USC's guards all night with his length.

How hard and how intentionally Ellington threw the ball at Liggins is up for debate. Horn's expression seemed to indicate his side of that debate.

"You'll have to ask the officials about that one," Horn said. "I didn't see it."

Ellington's erratic play, influenced by his erratic playing time in 24 total minutes, helped to create what Horn called "a mental hole." That void was especially discernible in USC's confidence to make shots.

Ellington finished with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, including 1 of 5 from 3-point range. It was just USC's third 3 of the game, even though two of the team's first three shots made were 3-pointers. The Gamecocks hit 3 of 18 3-pointers (16.7 percent).

Ellington's 3 did cut the lead to eight points, 61-53, with 90 seconds to go. The bucket was in the midst of an 11-0 USC run that forced the Cats to sweat. Freshman guard Eric Smith followed with three free throws, cutting the lead to five with 1:16 left.

South Carolina allowed the Wildcats to run down the shot clock to nine before Malik Cooke, for some reason, fouled Kentucky freshman guard Doron Lamb. Despite shooting only twice from the floor, Lamb, averaging 13.9 points a game, made the two free throws and then made two more the next time down the floor.

A key difference in the game was Kentucky making 24 of 29 free throws, compared to 17 of 26 for USC -- even though the Gamecocks hit eight of their first 10 foul shots.

South Carolina finally clicked into a gear -- 38 minutes into the game.

"We wanted to fight, but we just turned it on too late," said USC guard Ramon Galloway, who had six points on 2-for-9 shooting. "It didn't work."

3-Point Field Goals -- Kentucky 3-13 (Jones 0-1, Miller 1-2, Knight 2-5, Liggins 0-4, Lamb 0-1); USC 3-18 (Muldrow 1-2, Richardson 1-6, Ellington 1-5, Smith 0-2, Galloway 0-2, Slawson 0-1). Steals -- Kentucky 5 (Jones 3); UCS 5 (Richardson 2, Galloway 2). Blocks -- Kentucky 6 (Jones 2, Harrellson 2, Miller 2); USC 5 (Muldrow 3). Turnovers -- Kentucky 14 (Knight 5); USC 13 (Jackson 3). Technicals -- Kentucky 0; USC 1 (Ellington).. A -- 18,000.