COLLEGE BASKETBALL / POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS : SOUTHEAST REGIONAL : Mashburn Leads Kentucky Rout of Wake Forest

The great matchup was a mismatch.

And it happened so suddenly, so completely, Wake Forest was reeling by halftime from the painful realization that when Jamal Mashburn peaks, few college players can touch him.

Mashburn scored 23 points--all in the first half--as top-seeded Kentucky built a 34-point halftime lead Thursday night en route to a 103-69 victory in a Southeast Regional semifinal before 22,876 at the Charlotte Coliseum.

Left in Mashburn’s wake was Rodney Rogers, Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, who had four points and three rebounds at halftime. Rogers finished with 14 points, well below his 21.4 average.

So went the showdown between two of the nation’s best college forwards. And so went Wake Forest (21-9).

Kentucky (29-3) will try to continue its devastating march through the Southeast Regional on Saturday against third-seeded Florida State, which eliminated Western Kentucky, 81-78, in overtime.

After defeating Rider by 96-52 in the first round and Utah by 83-62 in the second, Kentucky expected more of a challenge from the Demon Deacons.

But fifth-seeded Wake Forest couldn’t provide it. If Kentucky was ever challenged, it came in pregame discussions, when some wondered how the Wildcats would handle Rogers.

It soon became academic as Rogers and Randolph Childress (18 points) were frustrated by a pressing, swarming Wildcat defense.

“We knew the matchup was not going to materialize,” Mashburn said.

Although Mashburn left the game with 9:17 to play, he left his stamp on Wake Forest. After Kentucky’s season ends, Mashburn is headed to the NBA.

Coach Rick Pitino will miss him.

“If it takes passing, if it takes defense, if it takes rebounding, if it takes scoring, Mash will get it done,” Pitino said. “Where do you find a kid like that today with the egos being the way they are.”

Pitino was impressed with his entire team. He and his staff believed that Wake Forest would give the Wildcats all they could handle.

But Kentucky, which has won its three NCAA tournament games by an average of 33 points, was not pressed.

“I just don’t understand it,” Pitino said.

He was not as surprised by the Wildcats’ offense as their defense, which shut down a prime player in the 6-foot-7 Rogers.

“We put a blanket on Rogers . . . and Childress,” Pitino said. “We had super pressure on the basketball.”

That defense gave Wake Forest little chance. Kentucky led, 20-6, after six minutes. Wake Forest made eight of its first nine shots but still trailed by 41-16 with 7:36 left in the half. By then, the Deacons had little fight left.

It was difficult to blame them. Kentucky scored inside and outside; on spectacular dunks and three-point bombs. The Wildcats made 16 of 24 three-point attempts.

So complete was the rout that Travis Ford, who scored 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting, making five of six three-pointers, was almost overlooked.

Coach Dave Odom of Wake Forest was impressed by Mashburn, but after the game he talked about Ford.

“I think he is the best player on their team,” Odom said.