Meeks score 46; hits 9 three points

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2008/dec/20/meeks-scores-46-points-kentucky/

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky’s been making the hour-long trip from Lexington to Freedom Hall for 50 years.

No Wildcat in the hallowed arena’s long history has enjoyed a game like the one Jodie Meeks put together on Saturday.

Meeks scored a career-high 46 points — the most ever by a Kentucky player on the home floor of archrival Louisville — as the Wildcats roared past Appalachian State 93-69.

“I just told him to make all his shots and he followed what I said,” coach Billy Gillispie said with a laugh. “It’s all coaching.”

Well, that and the kind of hot streak that had Meeks threatening the history books.

The junior guard did it all, making 14-of-21 field goals, including 9-of-14 3-pointers and hitting 9-of-10 free throws for Kentucky (8-3). Meeks’ total was the most ever by a Kentucky guard and the highest point total by a Wildcat since Dan Issel scored 47 against Alabama in 1970. His nine 3-pointers tied a school record set by Tony Delk in 1996.

“I had a pretty good idea I was hot,” Meeks said. “I was trying not to force shots. My teammates told me to keep shooting. It was hard not to.”

Patrick Patterson added 19 points and seven rebounds for Kentucky (8-3), though the Wildcats didn’t need much more than Meeks to win for the eighth time in nine games.

Working off screens for jumpers, driving through the lane, getting out on the break, Meeks put together the kind of dazzling all-around display that made his injury plagued sophomore year a distant memory.

“Forty-six points, that’s a lot of points,” Gillispie said. “That’s really hard to do. It’s not like he wasn’t being guarded.”

Kellen Brand had 16 points and Ryann Abraham added 14 points for Appalachian State (4-4), but the Mountaineers shot just 33 percent from the field and had no answer for Meeks.

“He made tough shots,” said Appalachian State coach Houston Fancher. “He made shots coming off down screens, shots in their transition offense and he finished plays on the break.”

Meeks outscored the Mountaineers by himself in the first half, pouring in 24 points as the Wildcats took a 53-21 lead at the break and cruised in the second half.

The only suspense over the final 20 minutes would be whether Meeks would become the fourth Kentucky player ever to top 50 points in a game. He gave it a shot but tired late, missing his last two 3-point attempts.

Gillispie said he hadn’t planned on keeping Meeks in the game so long, but decided to let it ride after watching Meeks hit a 3 with more than four minutes left that pushed his total to 46.

“I was going to leave him in until he got to 40, then all of a sudden he went from 38 to 46 in a hurry,” Gillispie said. “That’s OK. He can do that again if he wanted.”

Meeks departed to a standing ovation with less than a minute to go as the crowd chanted “Jo-die! Jo-die!”

Meeks got started early, hitting a 3-pointer during Kentucky’s game-opening 10-0 run. The Mountaineers managed to cut the deficit to six before the Wildcats put together a 15-0 burst midway through the first half that pushed the lead to 32-11.

“We were just sort of shell-shocked there to come out,” Fancher said. “They ran off and left us and we didn’t answer.”

The Wildcats — who entered the game averaging 17 turnovers a game — gave it away 15 times against the Mountaineers, most of those in the second half with the game already well in hand.

Kentucky went nearly 10 minutes without turning it over. The Mountaineers were hardly as crisp, struggling to hold onto the ball as the Wildcats overwhelmed them from the start.

“We missed some shots early but I think we got really good shots and forced those guys to really play defense,” Gillispie said.

The Mountaineers came in averaging 80 points a game but couldn’t get it going against the bigger, stronger Wildcats. Appalachian State tried to pound the ball inside early but missed its first eight shots. By the time Brand ended the drought with a layup, the Mountaineers already trailed by double digits.

Kentucky forward Ramon Harris scored four points had two rebounds in nine minutes in his first game since being hospitalized with a neck injury on Dec. 3.

“I’m feeling a little sore, a little winded,” Harris said. “When I took my first hit on a rebound it built a little more confidence. It’s just a blessing to be playing basketball again. I couldn’t feel my fingers or my toes (when I got hurt) and that’s a really scary feeling.”