GAME REPORT: ARIZONA 84, KENTUCKY (OT) 79

FIRST HALF IN REVIEW

ARIZONA 33, KENTUCKY 32

Ron Mercer attempted only four shots, all in the first 10 minutes, and scored three points. He was guarded primarily by Michael Dickerson and Jason Terry, who at 6-foot-2 is five inches shorter than the Kentucky forward. Arizona overplayed Mercer on his favorite play, shooting off screens from 12 to 15 feet. Miles Simon and Mike Bibby were able to break Kentucky’s press without help. Arizona committed seven turnovers, but only one against the press. Kentucky scored 10 points off turnovers. Simon was the best player, scoring 15 points, including nine of 11 free throws. Bibby gave Arizona its biggest lead, 19-13, with a three-point basket at 9:43. There were 15 lead changes and eight ties.

* KENTUCKY’S LEADING SCORERS: Nazr Mohammed 8, Cameron Mills 7.

* KENTUCKY’S LEADING REBOUNDERS: Mohammed 7, Wayne Turner 4.

* OTHER STUFF: Kentucky shot 35% (12 of 34) and attempted only four free throws, making all of them. . . . Kentucky’s reserves had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Mohammed had eight points and seven rebounds, and Mills made three of four shots and had seven points.

* ARIZONA’S LEADING SCORERS: Simon 15, Bibby 5.

* ARIZONA’S LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bennett Davison 4, Dickerson 3, Eugene Edgerson 3.

* OTHER STUFF: Arizona shot 36% (nine of 25) and, led by Simon, made 12 of 14 free throws. . . . Only five points came from the bench.

SECOND HALF IN REVIEW

ARIZONA 84, KENTUCKY 79

Turner picked up his third foul and left the game only 22 seconds into the half when he fouled Davison going for a steal. He was replaced by Mills and Arizona went on an 11-4 run for a 44-36 lead. Turner returned at 13:54 and scored on a drive at 12:01 to cut Arizona’s lead to 44-42. One of the biggest crowd responses was when former Arizona player Sean Elliot was shown on the RCA Dome big screen. The best shot of the game: Mercer flipped the ball over his head into the basket while being fouled at 10:19. He made the free throw for a 47-46 Kentucky lead. Mercer was scoreless until making a three-pointer with 51 seconds left that cut Arizona’s lead to 72-71. Davison’s layup with 18 seconds gave Arizona a three-point lead and Anthony Epps’ three-point shot with 12 seconds left--the last basket in regulation--tied it at 74-74. There were five lead changes and 10 ties.

* KENTUCKY’S LEADING SCORERS: Scott Padgett 11, Mercer 9, Epps 9.

* KENTUCKY’S LEADING REBOUNDERS: Mercer 6, Mohammed 5.

* OTHER STUFF: Kentucky made six of 21 three-point shots, with Padgett attempting 10, the most in a single half of a title game . . . Mohammed had one of his three blocks, tying the title game record. . . . Kentucky missed six of 11 free throws.

* ARIZONA’S LEADING SCORERS: Bibby 14, Simon 11

* ARIZONA’S LEADING REBOUNDERS: Donnell Harris 7, Bibby 7

* OTHER STUFF: Arizona made 12 of 15 three throws. . . . Dickerson, the team’s leading scorer in the regular season, scored his only basket--a three-pointer. . . . Arizona had eight turnovers. . . . Arizona was outshot 47% to 39% but attempted 14 more free throws (27-13) . . . The bench outscored Kentucky 13-11 in the second half.

OVERTIME IN REVIEW

The key play was Mercer losing the rebound after Mills missed a three-pointer with under four minutes to play. He had the ball underneath the basket and looked like he would score. “They just slapped at it and I lost it,” Mercer said. That was in the middle of 5-0 Arizona run to start overtime. A few times Kentucky had the ball Arizona Coach Lute Olson could not watch the action, grabbing a drink of water and walking away from the side the ball was on so he didn’t have to watch.