Lamont Butler leads the Kentucky Wildcats past rival Louisville 93-85

Mark Pope takes down Louisville in his first season as the Wildcats head coach.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler (1) celebrates after a play during their game against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into the matchup between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals Big Blue Nation was not sure if Lamont Butler was going to be able to play. The veteran guard hurt his ankle against Clemson and missed the last two ball games, but he was able to play against the Wildcat's biggest rival. Not only did Butler play but he was the best player on the floor.

Butler didn't miss a shot from the field, going 10-10 and scoring 33 points leading the Wildcats past Louisville 93-85. He went 6-6 from deep for his best three-point shooting performance of the season. The veteran also pulled down three boards and dished six assists.

The Wildcats only shot 21 threes, but they made 11 of them for a beautiful percentage of 52.4. Kentucky shot 58.2 percent from the field as they found a way to take down a scrappy Louisville team.

Credit to this Louisville team that at no point went away, but the Wildcats were clutch down the stretch as they found a way to win this rivalry. The Wildcats also dominated the Cardinals 41-31 on the glass, which is what Coach Pope has been looking for all season.

The Rupp Arena crowd had Kentucky's back the entire game, and the Wildcats were able to deliver a massive victory for their fan base.

This Kentucky team did a great job of coming out hot and had a six-point lead at the break, which hasn't been the case in most big games this season.

Lamont Butler etched his name in the history of the Kentucky/Louisville rivalry with his career-high performance in Rupp Arena.