Louisville Takes Down Kentucky in Battle of the Bluegrass

It's head coach Chris Mack's first win over the Wildcats as the Cardinals' head coach, and breaks a three-game losing streak to the Cats.

(Photo of Isaiah Jackson, Samuell Williamson: Scott Utterback/Louisville Courier-Journal/USA TODAY Sports)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In one of the sloppier iterations of the annual Battle of the Bluegrass rivalry between the Louisville and Kentucky men's basketball programs, the Cardinals were able to make just enough plays to overcome the Wildcats 62-59 at the KFC Yum! Center.

It's the first win over Kentucky for head coach Chris Mack in his three years at the helm for Louisville (6-1, 1-0 ACC), and the Wildcats fall to 1-6 on the season to continue their worst start since 1926. It's Louisville's first win over their arch-rival since 2016, breaking a three-game losing streak.

After turning it over on three straight possessions while tied at 59 in the final minute of play, forward Dre Davis hit the go-ahead free throw with 18 seconds left. UK's Olivier Sarr went for the dagger on a midrange jumper, but it rattled around the rim and missed, with guard Carlik Jones hauling in the crucial rebound.

Jones would get fouled, and subsequently nail both his free throws on the other end with 5.1 seconds to go. BJ Boston attempted a buzzer-beating three to tie and force overtime, but to no avail.

Jones, a graduate transfer from Radford, would finish with a game-best 20 points, accompanied with 5 rebounds and two assists. His backcourt mate in guard David Johnson was second on the team in scoring with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

For UK, Sarr, a transfer from Wake Forest, finished with a single point. Davion Mintz led the Wildcats with 19 points, with BJ Boston & Jacob Toppin also scoring 11 & 10, respectively.

Related: Highlights, Photos, Notes: Louisville 62, Kentucky 59

From the jump, it was a rocky Battle of the Bluegrass. There were 10 lead changes and six ties, but not because it was a shootout.

Kentucky had a rough time shooting the ball, as they shot 20-58 for the game (34.5%), and Louisville had very little offensive rhythm at times, resulting in several possessions ending with a shot clock violation.

The Cardinals shot marginally better than their intrastate counterparts. They shot 22-52 (42%) from the field, and found early success on the three ball, shooting 6-20 for the game and 5-14 in the first half.

The Wildcats dominated the glass throughout most of the game, winning the rebounding battle 40-35 and 16-8 on the offensive end, although Louisville gained ground in that department towards the end. The Cards coughed up the ball 13 times, but also forced 11 turnovers from the Cats. 

Next up for Louisville, they will head back on the road to face the Boston College Eagles. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 2 at 12:00 p.m. EST on your regional sports network (Fox Sports South in Louisville).

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