CLEVELAND – Perfect and pulverizing. Kentucky made West Virginia’s press look pathetic.
Trey Lyles scored 14 points, Andrew Harrison added 13 and the unbeaten Wildcats, chasing history and a ninth national title, rolled to a 78-39 victory over the Mountaineers on Thursday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals of the US NCAA.
The tourney’s top seed and an overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets next month in Indianapolis, Kentucky (37-0) advanced to Saturday’s regional final to play third-seeded Notre Dame, an 81-70 winner over Wichita State in the other semifinal.
The Fighting Irish may need to call Rudy, consult with Digger Phelps and wake up the echoes from some of those stunning upsets in football and hoops they have pulled off in the past.
Kentucky is a monster this March.
With stunning ease, the Wildcats built a 26-point lead in the first half over the Mountaineers (25-10), who led the nation in steals and figured their full-court press would at least bother Kentucky into some turnovers. Not only did the press not work, West Virginia shot only 24.1 percent (13 of 54), including 2 of 15 from 3-point range, against the Wildcats, who resemble a forest of blue-tinted redwoods inside the paint.
In Los Angeles, top seed Wisconsin again proved its grit, rallying in the final 10 minutes to hold off North Carolina, 89-72, and advance to the final eight.
Sam Dekker had a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds, Frank Kaminsky added 19 markers and Nigel Hays had 12 points to send the Badgers (34-3) into the West Regional final Saturday. (AP)