RECAP: 'Hungry' Wildcats snap losing skid with win over Alabama

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Avery Johnson knew his Alabama team had its work cut out for it on Saturday at Rupp Arena.

This road trip is always one of the most daunting in the Southeastern Conference, and it did not help at all that the Crimson Tide were catching the Wildcats backed into a corner by a rare four-game losing streak.

The result: Kentucky 81, Alabama 71.

"Give them credit, they played like a really hungry basketball team, lots of energy," Johnson said of the Wildcats. "... Hungry is a good word, and sometimes desperate."

Kentucky's effort and determination was best reflected in the rebounding column. On a day when it shot a modest 43.8 percent from the field, the Cats held an overwhelming 44-27 rebounding advantage. Twenty of those came on the offensive glass, leading to 20 second-chance points.

Jarred Vanderbilt, a bouncy 6-foot-9 freshman forward, also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, drawing high praise from UK coach John Calipari for his constant energy.

"Jarred, I told him afterward, you're a beast," the UK boss said. "What you did and how you changed the game... I'll tell you who I'll compare him to: (former NBA star) Dennis Rodman. That's who he is. How about this, be Dennis Rodman. He did all right. He can guard every position. He rebounds offensively. Defensively he can pass. He's skilled. Made his free throws."

Said Vanderbilt: "It was just mental. It was like we are going to kill the boards. That was our mindset going into the game, and (we) told the guards if they can get it up, obviously try to make it. But, if not, we are coming right there for the put back."

"They beat us up on the boards," added Johnson, noting that every UK player grabbed at least one offensive rebound.

Kentucky (18-9, 7-7 SEC) snapped its longest losing streak since the 2008-09 season.

The Cats placed five players in double-figure scoring, led by freshman forward PJ Washington with 16 points off the bench. Kevin Knox followed with 13 (all in the second half), while Quade Green (12), Vanderbilt (11) and Nick Richards (10) also had nice scoring efforts.

Alabama (17-10, 8-6 SEC) got 16 points from junior forward Donta Hall. The Cats held the Crimson Tide's leading scorer on the season, freshman guard Collin Sexton, to just 12 points, 6.3 under his average.

A close game throughout, it featured eight ties and 15 lead changes. UK outscored Alabama by five points in each half (39-34; 42-37) to walk away with the win.

Green came up with two of the biggest plays down the stretch, first hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner to give UK some breathing room with a six-point lead at the 6:30 mark, then assisting on a Vanderbilt dunk with 3:15 to go to give the Cats a four-point lead.

In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...

THE GOOD:

Kentucky stopped the bleeding. Calling non-elimination games "must wins" has become cliched, but that's what today's game felt like. In order to keep itself squarely in the NCAA Tournament field and off the dreaded "bubble," the Cats have to defend its home court at the very least. One down, two more to go. And, who knows, if they play as hard as they did today against the Crimson Tide, maybe they can steal a road win at Arkansas or Florida.

THE BAD:

Kentucky's leading scorer on the season, Kevin Knox, went the first 26:41 without scoring a point. The Cats were fortunate some other players stepped up and had nice offensive performances today. To his credit, when Knox got it going, he was an integral part of the victory. He scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in the game's final 13:19.

THE UGLY:

The Cats once again struggled from the 3-point arc, hitting just four of their 11 attempts from long range. They have to find a way to start hitting six or seven to keep defenses honest.

GAME BALL:

Jarred Vanderbilt, Kentucky -- His effort and energy personified what the Cats were about today. The Houston native now has a remarkable 69 rebounds in only 151 minutes of play since returning from an ankle injury in mid-January. His per-40-minute average is 18.3 rebounds. Rodman-esque, indeed.

BY THE NUMBERS:

6 of 24 - Alabama's 3-point shooting on the day.

9 - Straight wins for UK over Alabama.

+17 - Rebounding margin for the Cats was their highest figure in SEC play.

39 - Bench points for UK, including the team-high 16 for PJ Washington.

111-37 - Kentucky's all-time series lead over Alabama, including a 57-10 mark in Lexington.

23,220 - Attendance at Rupp Arena.

QUOTABLE:

"Their last four losses weren't to a YMCA team. They played against Missouri, Tennessee, A&M, Auburn. Pretty good teams, right?" -- Alabama coach Avery Johnson on overreaction to UK's recent losing skid.

UP NEXT:

Kentucky travels to Arkansas on Tuesday for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff on ESPN. The Razorbacks (19-8, 8-6 SEC) defeated No. 21 Texas A&M 94-75 on Saturday in Fayetteville.