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Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Kentuckys next big test was supposed to come this weekend against a national powerhouse, not during a midweek game against an Ivy League school missing its best player. But there were John Caliparis top-ranked Wildcats, yet to score a point after five minutes against Columbia. There was no fire, Calipari said. There they were, trailing at halftime. There was no buzz, he said. And there they were, after 26 minutes, still yet to hold a lead. There was no nothing, Calipari said. But in the end, there was enough. Aaron Harrison scored 14 points and Kentucky finally pulled away in the last 10 1/2 minutes on Wednesday night to avoid what would have been a crushing upset ahead of Saturdays game against No. 21 North Carolina. The Wildcats beat the Lions 56-46 in the first meeting between the teams since the 1966 NCAA tournament. They trailed 11-0 in the first half, 25-23 at halftime and didnt take their first lead until there was 13:18 left in the game. Eventually, Calipari said, his team forced Columbia to take tough shots. As the game went on, we did it, he said. We had four turnovers. (It was) our third game in a row where were not making shots. I mean, literally, not making like open shots, shooting air balls, and missing them so poorly, open shots. The 10-point win was Kentuckys smallest margin of victory this season, but it wasnt the first time the Wildcats (10-0) underperformed against a seemingly inferior foe. They shook off a 38-33 deficit to Buffalo on Nov. 16 and beat the Bulls 71-52, then went on to rout Kansas by 32 points two days later. Willie Cauley-Stein had 10 points and 10 rebounds against Columbia, most of it in the second half, but no other Wildcats player scored in double digits. Andrew Harrison was 1-for-12 from the floor, highlighting Kentuckys shooting problems. I thought the energy was so bad, said Calipari. We threw it ahead, got it back, and stood straight up and stopped, when there were areas to get in the lane and throw that lob we throw or go in the lane and throw him a shot that he can make. Its all based on that. Maodo Lo scored 16 to lead Columbia (5-3), hitting several key 3-pointers in the first half. It was Columbias first game against a top-ranked team since losing to Indiana at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 26, 1975. We tried to take it like it was just another game, just one out of 28 games of the season for us, said Columbia center Cory Osetkowski. Granted it was against Kentucky, the No. 1 team in the country, but we just came out here and tried to play exactly like we play all the time and thats what we did. The last Lions victory over a ranked opponent technically came in 1994 after No. 14 Cal was forced to forfeit a game over an ineligible player. But Columbia hasnt beaten a ranked opponent on the scoreboard since topping No. 19 Rutgers on Dec. 2, 1976. More recently, the Lions lost on the road to a No. 2-ranked Michigan State 63-52 on Nov. 15 last season. Their first-ever game at Rupp Arena started with an improbable 11-0 run as the Wildcats, who had trailed for just 36 minutes all season, missed their first seven shots and the Lions made four of their first six. Calipari subbed out his five starters 2 1/2 into the game and Aaron Harrison, after checking back in, ended the field goal drought with a layup just over five minutes into the game. Later, a 7-0 Kentucky run was stopped by Los 3-pointer, which gave the Lions a 20-14 lead. Columbia made its run against the top-ranked Wildcats despite playing without star forward Alex Rosenberg, who led the Lions in scoring last season but withdrew from school last month because of a broken foot in order to protect his fourth year of eligibility in the Ivy League. Lo made Columbias fifth 3-pointer of the first half from the left corner with under a minute to play. I think we started off believing we could win in the locker room, yesterday and the day before, said Osetkowski. We have to come into a game like this believing we can win, and that was our mind set through the whole game even if we get down. We always believe we can come back, hit a shot here and there, get a stop. Thats what basketball is. The Lions didnt trail until Derek Willis free throws gave Kentucky a 36-34 lead. The Wildcats didnt begin pulling away until a 6-0 run capped by Cauley- Steins alley-oop dunk off a pass from Andrew Harrison made it 44-37 with 10 minutes left. Kentuckys lead reached 15 after that. It ended the game shooting under 37 percent, including 2-for 17 on 3-pointers. Game Notes Kentucky continued its best start since going 19-0 to begin the 2009-10 season ... In the only other meeting between the teams, Kentucky beat Columbia in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 1948, on the way to its first national title ... Columbia fell to 6-43 against ranked teams. Matteo Guendouzi Arsenal Jersey . -- Chicago manager Darold Butler has a message for the Windy City. Emiliano Martinez Arsenal Jersey . The Major League Soccer teams were scheduled to play on Saturday night, but their game was rescheduled after Stu Tudor was hit during a pregame storm. The 54-year-old lieutenant in the Columbus Fire Department is in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the Ohio State Medical Center. http://www.arsenalsoccerproshop.com/Authentic-Shkodran-Mustafi-Arsenal-Jersey/ . She still remembers the massive roar of the home crowd when the Canadians walked out on the pitch before 47,784 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in 2002. Lang expects a similar reception for the Canadian team as the host nation at this years tournament, which begins Tuesday. Emiliano Martinez Jersey .com) - SirDominic Pointer posted career highs of 24 points and seven steals to lead No. Matteo Guendouzi Jersey . The first baseman hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Mets to a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.SAN DIEGO -- Nevadas Deonte Burton didnt stand much of a chance against San Diego State. The No. 5 Aztecs held Burton, the Mountain Wests leading scorer, to 11 points, 10 below his average, in beating the Wolf Pack 73-58 on Saturday night. "When you are playing half court and they are doing their pressing, run and jump defence, they really did a good job of helping on him," Nevada coach David Carter said. "Youve got to give them credit, too. He was looking for it but they played good defence and really got us out of rhythm." Xavier Thames scored 17 points, Winston Shepard had 16 and SDSU tied the school record with its 20th straight win. The Aztecs (21-1, 10-0 Mountain West) matched the 20-game win streak by the 2010-11 team, which won its first 20 games before losing at BYU. That team was the first in school history to reach the NCAA round of 16 after getting the programs first victories in the NCAA tournament. It finished 34-3, best in team history. The current Aztecs are the first to open league play 10-0. SDSU was coming off a 67-65 win at Boise State in which it erased a 14-point deficit before winning on a 3-point shot by Dwayne Polee II with four seconds left. The Aztecs only loss was a 69-60 home defeat to then-No. 6 Arizona on Nov. 14. Jerry Evans Jr. scored 17 points for Nevada (12-12, 7-4). After taking control late in the first half, Saan Diego State pulled away in the second half.dddddddddddd The Aztecs went on a 7-0 run to go up 55-41 with 10:57 left. Aqeel Quinn hit a 3-pointer, JJ OBrien made two free throws after he was fouled hard by Burton and Dwayne Polee had a steal and a layup. After Nevadas Michael Perez made a 3-pointer, Winston Shepard took a pass from Matt Shrigley for a baseline dunk and then made a layup for a 59-44 lead. The Wolf Pack closed to 61-52 on a layup and 3-pointer by Evans before the Aztecs quickly pushed the lead back to 15. Josh Davis had a layup, Shepard a bank shot and Davis a steal and a slam dunk. "They played good pressure defence the whole game," Evans said. "That is a great group and everyone that played contributed. They were too much to overcome tonight. You spend a lot of energy getting the ball past half court. For 40 minutes it is tough to even run a play. "We just gave up baskets at the wrong time and they were getting to the free throw line." The Aztecs closed the first half on a 7-0 run -- including two free throws and a layup by Josh Davis -- for a 37-31 lead. It would have been a 9-0 run by Dwayne Polee missed an easy layup with three seconds left. Shepard made two straight shots for a 30-26 lead before the Wolf Pack went up 31-30 on Ronnie Stevens shot off a rebound and AJ Wests three-point play. 01:26ET 09-02-14 ' ' '