Chapter 14: Hesitation Leads to Defeat
After advancing to the finals, the University of Kentucky clearly became more cautious.
Right from the start, Antoine Walker frequently received the ball—not only operating in the low post but sometimes moving around the elbow area near the free-throw line to set up plays.
Yet, their high-low offensive coordination struggled to break through Connecticut’s interior defense.
The towering Knight fully utilized his height advantage, and although Walter McCarty was agile, several attempts to finish near the basket missed.
This time, McCarty’s shot off the glass bounced off the rim again, but Antoine Walker outmuscled Connecticut’s big man Rudy to grab the offensive rebound and score right away!
Kentucky fans erupted in cheers. With 5 minutes and 21 seconds elapsed, they finally took the lead.
At 8-12, Connecticut trailed by 4.
Coach Calhoun made a calming downward gesture from the sidelines, loudly urging his players not to panic.
However, in the following possession, Knight was trapped low and committed a careless turnover. After the steal, Tony Delk charged fiercely down the court.
The smaller, speedy black guard seized the fast-break opportunity and completed a coast-to-coast layup!
“Oh!”
The gap widened to 6 points, and the arena was filled with Kentucky fans’ roaring cheers.
The opponent suddenly altered their defensive strategy, making it difficult for Knight to pass out of the aggressive double-team.
Fortunately, Ray Allen drove hard to the basket before the shot clock expired and drew a foul.
“We have to commend Antoine Walker’s rebounding and help-defense awareness; it compensates for his lack of height!”
Commentator Jim Nantz immediately praised Walker’s composed performance on the court.
“Kentucky’s decisive victory is indeed inseparable from Antoine Walker’s rebounding and defense.”
“Connecticut is in trouble inside! Oh! Coach Calhoun has already brought in Lee ahead of schedule!”
Commentator Billy Packer noticed that Lee You had replaced starting point guard Marshall, expressing surprise in a low voice.
“Speed up the offense and make them run with us!”
Coach Calhoun gave Lee a simple instruction. The point difference was becoming precarious!
Kentucky had typically won by at least seven points each game, so the coaching staff had contingency plans. Lee was their first choice for changing the game's pace.
Ray Allen sank two free throws, narrowing the score to 10-14.
Upon entering, Lee maintained a calm expression. After signaling a play, he immediately took charge of guarding Connecticut’s point guard, Anthony Epps.
Coach Pitino stood nearby, loudly reminding his players to control the game’s rhythm. Whenever they led, they waited for the opponent to make mistakes.
Crossing half court, they passed quickly to the perimeter. Antoine Walker no longer attacked the low post aggressively but instead positioned himself near the free-throw line to receive passes.
After circling twice and noting Connecticut’s tight defense, Walker drove hard from the right elbow, drawing a foul from Rudy.
He smiled proudly, seemingly confident they had taken control of the game’s tempo. As he walked to the free-throw line, he raised both hands, signaling for louder cheers.
“Shh!!”
Connecticut’s fans booed fiercely. This versatile forward, with delicate technique playing the three or four position, sent chills down their spines.
Perhaps the boos worked; Walker’s second free throw rattled off the rim. He cursed quietly. Knight grabbed the rebound and immediately passed to Lee.
Receiving the ball, Lee accelerated right away. With a right-handed dribble, he spun the ball behind his back, evading Anthony Epps’s attempt to steal. Holding the ball in his left hand, he sped past midcourt.
Epps scrambled behind him, chasing fiercely. The two tangled near the left wing beyond the three-point line.
Without slowing, Lee hugged the defender and continued driving into the left block. Suddenly, he dribbled between his legs and stopped abruptly, causing Epps to lose balance.
Before the defender could react, Lee quickly gathered the ball and launched a jump shot!
“Swish!” The mid-range shot was pure.
12-15. In under ten seconds, Lee had scored.
Walker had just returned to defense inside the paint and then inbounded from the baseline...
“Damn it! Stay on him! Don’t lose your defensive position so easily!”
After a futile backpedal, Walker was visibly frustrated, shouting at his teammates.
Epps could only raise his hand, silently admitting his fault...
“Defense! Defense! Defense!”
---
After the Connecticut fans’ cheers, their defensive support grew louder than the surrounding noise.
They ran their plays continuously. Tony Delk tried several times to use screens to shake off Ray Allen’s defense but to no avail.
With eight seconds left on the shot clock, Delk took advantage of a hand-off from Walker at the top of the key, briefly creating space. Facing the switched defender Rudy, he drove left-handed toward the basket.
Despite Knight’s contest, Delk twisted and floated a right-handed shot that bounced off the rim.
Kentucky’s players gave up on the offensive rebound, retreating quickly. Allen grabbed the ball at the top of the key and rushed it past half court.
Epps chased back promptly. Allen slowed, then passed to the trailing Lee.
Meanwhile, Knight positioned himself beyond the three-point line, setting a high screen for Lee.
Receiving the cross-court pass, Lee dribbled twice rapidly behind his back, lowering his center of gravity before springing forward.
Delk was delayed by Knight's screen, and McCarty, forced to switch, planted himself on the three-point line with arms wide, attempting to slow Lee down.
In the blink of an eye, Lee executed a quick crossover dribble, breezing past the delaying defender.
McCarty stood frozen, watching Lee scoop the ball with his left hand and drive into the paint.
Lee beat two defenders in succession. The crowd gasped in unison as he charged into the key. Facing Walker’s help defense, Lee jumped off both feet, leaning into his opponent.
The two collided midair. Lee caught the ball one-handed, leaned forward to evade the block, heard the referee’s whistle, and casually banked the ball in!
“Bang... swish!”
Losing his balance, Lee slid to the floor but quickly sat up, pumping his fist in celebration!
“Oh!”
The spectacular play reenergized Connecticut’s fans, who jumped and shouted with joy.
“Oh—What a show!”
Commentator Jim Nantz was still caught up in Lee’s dazzling moves, repeatedly exclaiming his amazement.
“Lee’s entry really changed the pace of the game. Kentucky is in trouble.”
Billy Packer, watching Lee sink free throws, suddenly sensed Kentucky’s impending collapse...
15-15. The teams were tied again.
Coach Pitino noticed Connecticut’s pace speeding up. The opponents seemed indifferent to missed shots, relying heavily on outside shooting.
Tony Delk, who had performed excellently throughout the series, grew hesitant offensively.
Under relentless defense from Ray Allen, Delk missed several drives. This time, Rudy was slow to switch on the perimeter, and Delk’s hesitant three-pointer was contested by Allen.
“Bang...” Another miss!
The long rebound popped out, falling right to Lee on the right wing beyond the three-point line, sparking another fast break.
Walker, frustrated after several back-and-forth possessions, shouted loudly for defensive focus.
At the left wing beyond the arc, Lee suddenly stopped, quickly dribbled behind his back to switch hands, then accelerated back toward the paint.
Kentucky’s defenders were drawn to him, leaving the right corner wide open. Lee circled inside, then swiftly passed the ball out.
Ray Allen caught it in the right corner, with no defender in front. After a slight adjustment, he calmly launched a jump shot!
“Swish!” The three-pointer sailed clean through the net.
After several scoreless possessions, Connecticut broke the deadlock with a timely triple.
Cheers surged again. Over the next few minutes, Lee kept pushing the tempo, exploiting Kentucky’s declining shooting percentage to ignite a 9-2 run.
24-17. Coach Pitino couldn’t hold back and immediately called a timeout.
Earlier tension seemed to dissipate as Lee’s leadership left no room for hesitation; teammates threw up shots as soon as opportunities arose.
“We’ve got this! We will win this game!”
Rarely showing excitement, Ray Allen shouted from the bench as he returned to his seat.
Coach Calhoun patted Lee on the shoulder, thrilled that his gamble paid off.
Kentucky gradually lost offensive rhythm as players were mentally disjointed—some wanting to slow down, others eager to run.
Antoine Walker even went several possessions without touching the ball, forced to run back and forth with his teammates.
At halftime, the score was 32-39. Connecticut had taken full control of the game.
---
As the second half began, Kentucky fans continued cheering, but Tony Delk struggled to find his rhythm, missing three consecutive shots.
A three-pointer bounced off the rim. Lee grabbed the long rebound, with Ron Mercer immediately closing out.
Kentucky adjusted by matching a wing player against Lee for defense.
With the ball in his right hand, Lee accelerated constantly. Mercer slid quickly alongside but refrained from aggressive steals.
Approaching the right wing beyond the arc, Lee slowed, stepped on the three-point line, dribbled between his legs, and looked up, faking a pass with his right hand.
Mercer flinched involuntarily, jumping instinctively.
Seizing the moment, Lee shifted the ball and easily shook off the defender. Scooping the ball right-handed, he took two powerful strides and launched a mid-range jump shot uncontested!
“Swish!” Two points again!
Connecticut’s fans erupted in wild celebration.
“Damn game!”
Coach Pitino could no longer maintain composure, cursing under his breath before loudly urging his team to tighten their defense.
38-51. Kentucky’s points came only from free throws and scattered inside attempts.
Walker loudly signaled for his teammates to slow the pace, but Delk felt time slipping away and instinctively kept running.
After a rare mid-range jumper at the free-throw line, Walker hustled back on defense.
Within ten seconds, Lee passed across the court to Ray Allen, who, facing Delk’s closeout, nailed a three-pointer from the right wing!
The relentless offense sent the atmosphere into a frenzy, with the crowd gasping in unison.
Pitino, frustrated, called another timeout, knowing his players were panicking.
At 38-54, Connecticut, leading by 16, began to slow the pace.
Kentucky indeed applied targeted defense on Lee, especially guarding against his three-point attempts.
But Lee was more than just a shooter; his clean, sharp mid-range pull-ups left a strong impression as well.
As the clock wound down, Kentucky’s offense grew desperate.
Facing double teams on defense, Lee smoothly assisted Knight inside for an alley-oop dunk.
On offense, Delk forced up another contested three that missed; on the fast break, Allen earned two more free throws.
Pitino called his last timeout, but no miracle came.
In the final moments, Delk finally found his touch, hitting two consecutive three-pointers, but the 10-point deficit silenced Kentucky’s crowd.
Nobody cared about Kentucky’s scoring anymore. On Connecticut’s bench, everyone stood, raising hands and jumping joyfully in celebration of victory!
With 30 seconds left, Lee brought the ball past half court and ceased attacking, smiling as he awaited the final buzzer.
At the sound of the final horn, he casually tossed the ball into the air, laughing as he embraced his teammates in the center of the court.
Coach Calhoun and his staff joined the celebration, while the media, carrying heavy cameras, rushed forward to document this historic moment.
Young fans in the stands also hugged and shouted in delight.
On the opposite side, Antoine Walker stood with hands on hips, looking dejected.
He hadn’t rested for a minute all game, the relentless back-and-forth nearly wearing him out...
At 57-68, Connecticut, despite a modest shooting percentage, ultimately won the championship!
“Congratulations to the University of Connecticut for making history, capturing their first-ever title. This year, they truly fulfilled their potential!”
Commentator Jim Nantz found it hard to describe this game; it was very different from his previous impressions of the NCAA.
Ray Allen shot 7 of 19, 4 of 10 from three, 6 of 6 free throws, totaling 24 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 turnover.
Lee You went 6 of 15, 1 of 3 from beyond the arc, 3 of 3 free throws, with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers.
Looking at the stats, commentator Billy Packer shook his head with a smile and sighed:
“In a winner-takes-all game, hesitation equals defeat. Shooting percentages don’t tell the whole story. Congratulations to the young men from Connecticut!”