UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Technicals, turnovers, missed shots and free throws – Sunday’s game was exactly what Old Dominion wanted.

The Monarchs swayed Kentucky into playing a slow-it-down slop-fest in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament and it nearly cost Kentucky the championship and an early season blunder.

In an ugly performance that reflected both UK’s youth and Old Dominion’s game plan, the No. 2 Wildcats (4-0) held off a stingy ODU team (3-2) to win 62-52 on Sunday in Uncansville, Conn. Had it not been for the calming play of senior Darius Miller, UK may have lost this one.

“We got out of here alive somehow,” Calipari said. “The reason we got out alive is because Darius played. If he didn’t play, we probably get beat by 10 or 12, easy.”

The senior from Maysville, Ky., scored 11 of his 13 points before halftime to help Kentucky stay undefeated and win the tournament title. He also finished with five assists, most of them coming in key moments of the game.

“In the first half he kept us in the game,” Calipari said. “We couldn’t get guys to drive to the middle because they didn’t’ want contact, so they tried to drive baseline to run from people. You don’t get anything. You have to get in the middle of their defense and he was the only one that just said, ‘Give me the ball and I’ll get in the middle of it.’ ”

Old Dominion led for most of the first half and got within one point with 7:11 to play before Marquis Teague, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis scored three consecutive buckets inside as they were fouled. The momentum-shifting “and ones” closed out the upset attempt from the Monarchs.

“People just kept finding me in the middle of the zone,” said Kidd-Gilchrist, who scored four of his team-high-tying 13 points in the pull-away run. “Marquis did a good job. He’s our point guard and we’ve got to trust him. That’s what we do.”

And yet, it was Miller’s calming, senior presence that proved to be the difference, a quality that could play a major factor in Kentucky’s championship goals with a team that remains ultra young.

“He’s a veteran,” Coach Cal said. “He understands. He’s been through this.”

Miller’s performance was an encouraging sign for a player who was averaging just 4.3 points and 3.7 rebounds coming into the game after winning the 2011 Southeastern Conference Tournament MVP award. Miller came off the bench all three games on the road trip but said he didn’t take it personal.

“The other guys were playing better than me,” Miller said. “He didn’t really have to say it. They were playing better and producing more.”

Coming off the bench again, the senior from Maysville, Ky., had his hands on nearly every key play during the first-half run that put UK on top for good. As UK trailed 27-23 late in the first half, Miller scored seven points in the Cats’ 9-0 run before halftime.

The lone points he didn’t’ score in that run started with his drive and kick to Kidd-Gilchrirst. The freshman missed the 3-pointer from the corner but Eloy Vargas tipped it in with an athletic crash to the glass.

“He’s our senior, our leader on the court,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “That’s what he does best.”

Miller’s play helped erase what Calipari called a “blueprint” for opposing teams going forward. Old Dominion took the air out of the ball, used a zone for the entire game and played with a physical look the Cats had not seen this season. It was the first time UK shot less than 50 percent from the field this season.

At one point in the game, the physical play turned things chippy when three technical fouls were called in a matter of 16 seconds. The refs started to call it close at that point and the game briefly came to a screeching halt.

“You don’t see games like that in high school,” Miller said. “It was real physical. They did a good job of executing everything they wanted to do, banging it into the post and getting guys good looks.”

UK won the rebounding battle, but with the Monarchs almost lulling the Cats to sleep (ODU’s head coach routinely implored his point guard to walk the ball up the court and drain the shot clock), Old Dominion grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first half.

“We know this is how people are going to play us,” Calipari said. “They’ll hold the ball and be physical with us. They were very physical with us, especially in the post. I don’t know if any of my teams have missed this many one-footers as we missed in this game. They were on your body and you weren’t going to get a free look that way.”

Coach Cal wasn’t as displeased with his team’s execution against the zone as he was with the carelessness of his team. The Cats committed a season-high 21 turnovers, 11 of the coming from Teague and Kidd-Gilchrist.

Kentucky won the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament on Sunday with a 62-52 victory over Old Dominion. (photo by Britney McIntosh, UK Athletics)

“We will not win in the SEC with 21 turnovers,” Calipari said. “Michael had five and Marquis had six. That’s not OK. We should have 11 or 12 as a team, not 21. It’s based on the fact that guys are trying to make the hardest plays they can make.”

Teague struggled for the second time in three games and is now averaging 4.5 turnovers in his first four collegiate contests. Coach Cal took the blame for some of Teague’s confusion to start the game, telling reporters afterwards that he’s accidentally named two plays – one for their transition offense and one for their zone offense – the same name.

It’s important to remember that Calipari’s previous two point guards, John Wall and Brandon Knight, struggled to hang on to the ball early in their careers . Wall averaged 4.5 in his first 11 games and Knight averaged 4.7 in his first seven.

Teague also came up with key baskets late in the game.

“I’ve just got to keep coaching him,” Calipari said. “You saw he made the plays. He made the ‘and ones.’ He missed the free throw but he got it to the rim, made a couple of jumpers. When we needed a basket, that kid scored. He’s got to run our team better but it’s the first couple of games out of the gate.”

Sunday’s game should serve as a wakeup call and perfect teaching moment for Coach Cal. Forgive him if he sounds like a broken record, but Sunday qualified his constant reminders that UK’s opponents are going to bring it like it’s their Super Bowl.

Sleepwalk like the Cats did at the noon tip-off Sunday and it could come back to haunt them when it really counts.

“This was a long trip, folks,” Calipari said. “I am tired. That was three games (in less than a week), two of them mud-wrestling games. … We’re ready to go back and get our feet underneath us.”