Comeback 'Cats win in OT

<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kentucky celebrated the end of its SEC Tournament drought twice Sunday.</p><p> The first celebration came after DeMarcus Cousins sent the game to overtime at the buzzer. The Wildcats celebrated as if they had just won a national title.</p><p> But there was still overtime to be played against gutsy Mississippi State and this time it was John Wall to the rescue. His leaning, forced 3-pointer as the shot clock expired gave Kentucky a five-point lead that the Bulldogs could not overcome. Kentucky won 75-74 to take its first tournament title since 2004.</p><p> "How did we win this game? How did we go to overtime?" Kentucky coach John Calipari asked. "I don't know. Mississippi State did everything they're supposed to do to win the game."</p><p> Mississippi State, which found out Sunday night its effort in Nashville landed it in the NIT, led by five at the half and kept trading baskets with the Wildcats in what was a pseudo-home game for Kentucky. A Ravern Johnson 3-pointer with 2:24 to play gave the Bulldogs a five-point lead.</p><p> Down three with a minute to go, Wall made a steal in the backcourt and drove for a layup to cut the lead to one. After Dee Bost missed the front end of a one-and-one on the other end, Wall's 10-foot jumper came up short with 10 seconds to go. Barry Stewart grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both ends of the one-and-one with 8.2 seconds to go.</p><p> Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury, whose team had won six straight SEC Tournament games, chose to foul rather than let Kentucky try a game-tying 3. With 4.9 seconds left, Stewart fouled Bledsoe.</p><p> "Longest 4.9 seconds of my life," Stewart said.</p><p> Bledsoe made the first and intentionally missed the second. The ball kicked out to Wall, who head faked and then launched a long jumper that came up short. Cousins grabbed it and put it in, the ball leaving his fingertips with .1 second left on the clock.</p><p> "I knew it was an air ball. You could tell it was short," Cousins said. "So I grabbed it and tried to put it in quickly.I knew it was good because I was looking at the red light."</p><p> The shot set off a wild celebration by the Wildcats and their Big Blue fans. Cousins was dogpiled at the other end of the court. Wall said later he didn't realize there was still an overtime to play.</p><p> But there was and Wall was up to the task scoring seven points in the extra period. After Bledsoe hit a runner to give Kentucky a 71-69 lead, Wall hit his leaning 3 over Bost, who was in his grill.</p><p> "I seen the shot clock going down so I just faded and it went in," Wall said.</p><p> Bledsoe led Kentucky with 18 points. Wall had 17 points and nine assists while Patrick Patterson scored 15 points, nine in the first half. Cousins finished with 10 points and his final point — which came on a free throw that fell in after smacking the area between the back of the rim and the backboard — was the difference in the game after Riley Benock hit a 3 at the buzzer.</p><p> Jarvis Varnado led Mississippi State by scoring 18 points. He had nine rebounds and five blocked shots in 40 minutes.</p><p> It was a devastating loss for the Bulldogs, who won four games in Tampa last year to win the tournament and earn the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.</p><p> "I never walked into a locker room where I was more proud of a bunch of guys," Stansbury said.</p><p> As they did in 2004 when they last won the SEC Tournament in Atlanta, the Wildcats left the floor without cutting down the nets.</p><p> "We will cut down nets," Calipari said. "Hopefully in the NCAA Tournament somewhere. These guys have a big picture in mind."</p>