Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s overtime win against Saint Joseph’s

Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 96-88 overtime victory over Saint Joseph’s on Monday night at Rupp Arena.

1. A young Kentucky team made winning plays

Never mind the opponent or that the opponent lost to Texas A&M-Commerce just last Friday or that Kentucky was playing at home or that John Calipari’s Wildcats were in an overtime game.

“We were lucky to get it to overtime,” Calipari said afterward. “We really were.”

In overtime, playing largely with a group of freshmen, and operating with just eight players, Kentucky made the plays it needed to make with the game on the line. Winning plays.

One of the few graybeards got it started. That was Tre Mitchell, the 6-foot-9 grad transfer, who stepped up and buried a pair of threes to give the Cats take an 83-79 lead over Saint Joseph’s, the second with 3:12 left in overtime.

Then the kids took over. D.J. Wagner being one. Robert Dillingham being another. Justin Edwards being a third. Wagner ended up scoring seven of Kentucky’s 19 points in the extra five minutes. Edwards executed a key follow jam on a runout off an in-bounds play — after a UK timeout — in which Reed Sheppard hit a streaking Wagner, who missed the contested drive, but Edwards was there for the follow.

Instead of wilting, the Cats scored on 10 of their 12 possessions in the overtime. They made 9 of 12 free throws. They held Saint Joseph’s to 11 points in the overtime period. And they improved to 4-1.

Asked what a win like this can do for a young team, Mitchell didn’t hesitate. “It can instill confidence for our guys.”

2. Reed Sheppard does not have to score to impact the game

After Reed Sheppard’s sensational Friday night performance — 9-of-10 shooting; 7-of-8 on three-pointers; 25 points — no one could have blamed the freshman guard if he came out firing on Monday night.

Sheppard didn’t. In fact, he fired just once, missing his only shot of the game. That was a 3-pointer from the right wing that rimmed out. When the ball ended right back in Sheppard’s hands, again behind the 3-point line, he pump-faked, drove and dished. This wasn’t his night to score.

Instead, it was Sheppard’s night to have five steals, four assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes. If you put stock in the plus/minus stat, his was a plus-16.

“Reed didn’t make a basket and he had a plus-16,” Calipari said. “Can you believe that?”

At the end of the game, it was Sheppard whom Calipari wanted inbounding the basketball in crucial moments.

“We’ve got to figure out the guys we want in at the end of the game,” Calipari said. “It appears he’s one.”

3. More proof this team is unafraid to shoot 3s

In that 101-67 smashing of poor Stonehill College on Friday, Kentucky made 17 of 32 3-pointers, the most made 3-pointers by a Calipari team since the coach arrived on campus back in 2009.

Monday night, the Cats made 12 more. The Cats were 12-of-25 from beyond the arc for 48%. Mitchell was 4-for-10 — “I think Coach would yell at me if I didn’t shoot it,” he said — on his way to 22 points. Antonio Reeves was 3-of-3 on his way to 20 points. Edwards was 2-of-3, his one miss an ill-advised three to start overtime. Dillingham was also 2-of-3.

Saint Joseph’s coach Billy Lange raved about Kentucky’s transition game, calling it “amazing” and an “avalanche.” But to spot up and hit 3-pointers looks like it could be a strength of this team, as well.

Kentucky needs overtime — and some big shots late — to stop upset bid from Saint Joseph’s

Five things you need to know from Kentucky’s 96-88 overtime win over Saint Joseph’s

Box score from Kentucky basketball’s 96-88 overtime victory over St. Joseph’s

Shot chart from Kentucky basketball’s 96-88 overtime win over Saint Joseph’s

College basketball final: Kentucky 96, Saint Joseph’s 88 in overtime