Tshiebwe’s 25 boards helps Kentucky top Providence in NCAA opener

GREENSBORO,N.C. (AP) — Oscar Tshiebwe kept battling for position, pushing hisway to daylight and grabbing seemingly every loose rebound with arugged relentlessness.

No one wasgoing to stop him, either.

When it wasover, the two-time Associated Press All-American had turned in thebest rebounding performance in the NCAA Tournament in nearly ahalf-century — and Kentucky was free to move past last year’sone-and-done showing.

Tshiebwepulled down 25 rebounds and Antonio Reeves scored 22 points,helping the Wildcats beat Providence 61-53 in Friday night’s firstround.

Tshiebwe’srebounding output represented the most in any tournament game since1977. Eleven of his rebounds came on the offensive glass — a bigfactor in the sixth-seeded Wildcats (22-11) staying in control asboth offenses grinded to a halt after halftime.

“I told (myteammates), I said, ‘This year we come in and fight, last yeardoesn’t matter anymore,’” said Tshiebwe, who entered as thenation’s leading rebounder at 13.1 per game.

The “lastyear,” of course, was theshocking first-round exit against15th-seeded Saint Peter’s that had hung over the program allseason. Now the Wildcats are moving on to face the MontanaState-Kansas State winner Sunday in the East Region.

“Yeah, it wasa big relief obviously,” forward Jacob Toppin said.

When the hornsounded, guard Cason Wallace let out a scream before giving a chestbump to Reaves. And Tshiebwe soon emerged from a postgame TVinterview by gleefully skipping his way off toward the lockerroom.

Hisrebounding total was the most in the tournament since Michigan’sPhil Hubbard had 26 boards against Detroit Mercy in 1977.

BehindTshiebwe, Kentucky finished with a 48-31 rebounding advantage,controlling the offensive glass (plus-10) and dominating insecond-chance points for an 18-2 edge.

That wasvital considering shots weren’t falling; Kentucky shot 36.5%overall but just 7 of 28 (25%) after halftime.

Reeves hitfive 3-pointers to lead the offense, while Toppin had his own biggame with 18 points. Tshiebwe managed eight points, but he wasstill an indomitable force that the 11th-seeded Friars (21-12) justcouldn’t manage.

“Sometimesyou just have an ‘it,’ a la Dennis Rodman, Ben Wallace,” Providencecoach Ed Cooley said. “Those guys just have an ‘it’ for it. Someguys have an ‘it’ to score. Some people have an ‘it’ to pass. Hehas an incredible ‘it,’ an elite ‘it’ to rebound.”

Ed Croswellscored 16 points for Providence, which shot just 36.2% while making5 of 24 3-pointers. The Friars matched the Wildcats’ second-halftroubles, making just 8 of 27 shots (29.6%).

“You can sayyou wish you could win this game and all that,” Friars guard JaredBynum said, “but you have to embrace the moment at the end ofit.”

BIGPICTURE

Providence:The Friars have been to the NCAAs seven times in the past nineseasons under Cooley, including last year’s Sweet 16 before fallingto eventual champion Kansas. But they entered this game just 3-6 inNCAA games under Cooley.

Kentucky: TheWildcats got off to a successful though grinding start to MarchMadness — and that was good enough for coach John Calipari.

“If in thistournament, winning is a relief, what the heck are you doing here?”he said. “This is joy.”

KEYSTRETCH

Tshiebwe camethrough in a tight game, starting with — what else? — hisrebounding.

With Kentuckyleading 50-46, he leapt to dunk home Wallace’s missed drive.Minutes later, he came up with a steal, then an offensive reboundoff his own miss before feeding Chris Livingston on the other sideof the paint for the layup and a 54-46 lead with 2:43 left.

BUMPYREUNION

The game marked areunionbetween Providence star Bryce Hopkins and theKentucky program he left behind. Hopkins came in averaging 16.1points, but finished with just seven on 2-for-9 shooting in a toughnight while being chased primarily by Toppin.

Hopkinsfought back tears as he made his way through the postgame handshakeline with Calipari and former teammates.

FULLSTOP

The game’soddest momentcame at the foul line.

With 8:36left before halftime, Providence’s Clifton Moore launched a freethrow that hit the rim on the left side and rolled all the wayaround the inside of the rim before popping out and sitting on theback of the goal.

And then, itjust stopped and stayed there.

What are the odds? 😂#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/XGCiyy9pVd

The 6-foot-9Toppin stood next to an official under the net looking up at theball, his hands on his hips, before jumping to tap it loose.

It went downas a miss. Moore made the second.

LOOK-INS

The upset by 16th-seeded FairleighDickinson against No. 1 seed Purduein Columbus, Ohio,drew a captivated audience in Greensboro Coliseum for live look-insbeing shown on the scoreboard.

During onetimeout, with Fairleigh Dickinson up five in the final seconds,fans in Greensboro began chanting “FDU! FDU!” and booing wheneverthe game was taken off the scoreboard even when Providence-Kentuckyhad resumed on the court below.