UK hammers Lamar 103-61

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081204/SPORTS03/812040463 (Full story)

Patrick Patterson was on his way to a career high in scoring, and the Wildcats were off to a fast start in what turned into a 103-61 rout of Lamar last night at Rupp Arena.

Then things took a sobering turn.

With 13:42 to play in the first half, UK teammates Ramon Harris and Michael Porter bumped heads during a loose-ball collision. Harris was examined by the UK medical staff while Gillispie and Harris' mother, Carmen Bowles, looked on.

Harris was carted off the court on a stretcher after lying nearly motionless for almost eight minutes.

"(Harris) was crying on the floor in pain," Patterson said. "His mom ran out there, and we knew that it really was serious. He was shaking. Watching that, it made our hearts drop, because we felt like we were going to lose a teammate for the rest of the year."

Harris was taken to UK Chandler Hospital, where he was alert, had movement in all his extremities and had improved in the hours immediately after the game, said UK team spokesman DeWayne Peevy.

The 6-foot-7 Harris was expected to stay overnight for observation.

"The initial scans all look good at this point," Peevy said. "He is doing well."

Porter had 10 stitches to close a cut over his left eye and did not return to the game. It wasn't clear, Gillispie said, whether Porter sustained a concussion. When Porter returned to the bench for the second half, the back of his white jersey was stained with blood.

"It was scary for us," UK junior Jodie Meeks said. "We were just praying that they were all right."

Rattled though they were, the Cats (5-2) bounced back and pounced on Lamar (5-1).

UK led 19-7 when the collision occurred. The halftime score was 56-30.

In the second half, the Cats, led by Patterson's career-high 31 points and Meeks' 19, went ahead by as many as 46 points.

"I think it shows that we can fight through adversity no matter what happens," Meeks said. "You never like to see any of your teammates go down like that, but I think it showed a lot of heart that we could step up and fight through that."