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RECAP
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – There was a sequence late in Kentucky's
92-79 NCAA Tournament rubout of Iowa on Saturday night when the
Wildcats were running time off the clock, in no great hurry to
shoot.
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Saturday, March 17
Kentucky prevailed despite a super second half from Dean Oliver, who scored 23 of his 26 points after intermission.
Tayshaun Prince has been a real superstar for the Wildcats. Earlier this year when Kentucky was 3-5, Prince couldn't make a shot. Now he has become an absolute superstar and PTPer. He had 31 points on 9-for-14 shooting and seven assists. It's amazing how much his confidence has increased compared to earlier in the season.
Also giving a boost to Tubby Smith's team was Marquis Estill, who scored 22 points in 22 minutes, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the floor.
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Tayshaun Prince, engaged in a long-range shooting showdown with
the Hawkeyes' Dean Oliver, was dribbling away the 35-second clock
until there were three ticks left on the clock. Then he launched
one more 3-pointer, a sort of exclamation mark on a 31-point night.
It was his sixth 3 of the night, matching the six that Oliver
had for the Hawkeyes in their personal shootout. And it was the
longest one.
"I had to laugh when he shot that 30-footer," Kentucky's Saul
Smith said. "He's a tremendous player."
The victory sent the Wildcats into Thursday's East Regional
semifinals against Southern California, which hung on to beat Big
East champion Boston College 74-71 in the first game of the Nassau
Coliseum doubleheader.
It seemed that every time Oliver nailed a 3, Prince responded.
It was a long-range shooting clinic. Prince was typically low-key
about the shooting show.
"My teammates try to give me the ball in spots I like best,"
he said. "When I make the first one, it really gets me going. The
first one went down for me."
It was followed by five others in a 6-for-8 long-range blitz.
|  | | Keith Bogans and the SEC-champ Wildcats get the best of Big Ten champion Iowa. |
Oliver tried to keep up and hit six of his own.
"I just wanted to try and extend my career," the senior guard
said. "I got some outside shots and knocked them down. But
Tayshaun Prince is unreal. We just couldn't stop him."
Prince also had some important help from Marquis Estill, who
scored 22 points and missed just two of 11 shots from the field.
Estill was Kentucky coach Tubby Smith's third solution to
containing Iowa's Reggie Evans, then nation's leading rebounder
with 12 per game. Jason Parker got into foul trouble early and
Marvin Stone had some difficulties.
Evans had 10 points early. Then the 6-9 Estill bottled him up
and did some important scoring of his own.
Prince wasn't surprised.
"Marquis can shoot the ball as well as I can," he said. "We
prefer he get inside. He can really do some damage inside."
Prince and Estill played major roles in a 12-0 run at the end of
the first half that put Kentucky (24-9) in front to stay.
With the score tied at 33 and just over four minutes left in the
first half, Kentucky got consecutive 3-pointers by Smith and
Prince. Then Estill had a three-point play and punctuated the run
with another 3-pointer.
When Estill blocked a shot at the end of the half, Kentucky went
off the floor with a 45-33 lead.
Oliver tried to spark an Iowa comeback, hitting a pair of 3's
and eight straight points at the start of the second half. But
Prince responded with consecutive 3's that restored Kentucky's
double-digit lead.
Oliver led Iowa with 26 points, hitting 6-of-9 3-pointers, and
Evans finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds. But the game
belonged to Prince.
"Tayshaun put on a show," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said.
"He was phenomenal. He has that potential. He's a tough-minded
kid. He has great stamina and great endurance."
And a 3-point shot to go with them.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Iowa Clubhouse
Kentucky Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tayshaun Prince was a factor, but coach Steve Alford felt Marquis Estill hurt Iowa (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
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