In the latest edition of the Kentucky-Louisville men’s basketball rivalry, the No. 5 Wildcats emerged victorious this year, posting a 93-85 victory in a game that took a feisty turn.
Louisville trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, but mounted a possible comeback in the second. However, Kentucky was able to hold off the upset with the help of senior transfer Lamont Butler, who scored a career-high 33 points for the Wildcats.
The game was intense, with Louisville racking up 20 fouls and Kentucky racking up 18. Two Cardinals were fouled out of the matchup, with James Scott reaching five fouls relatively early in the second half, and Chucky Hepburn following him to the bench in the final seconds. of the game.
Things came to a head in the final minutes of the second half, when Cardinals guard Reyne Smith went for the offensive rebound. Wildcats forward Brandon Garrison made contact with Smith’s head, causing both teams to gather toward the Louisville bench.
Both teams came out of the game relatively unscathed: Garrison committed a foul, which was not elevated to flagrant after review. The game continued and Kentucky moved even further out of Louisville’s reach.
Kentucky guard Otega Oweh scored two big exclamation points in the win, recording a steal and a dunk and a huge 3-pointer in one minute. After a handful of free throws from Oweh and Butler, Oweh also scored the steal that sealed the win.
With the win, Kentucky is now 10-1. The Wildcats have beaten Louisville 12 times in the last 15 seasons, including the last three years in a row.