The Kentucky Wildcats got the best of their in-state rivals again. The No. 5 team got past the Louisville Cardinals with a 93-85 win behind a majestic performance from Lamont Butler.
The Wildcats’ point guard scored 33 points and didn’t miss a single shot. He was even perfect from beyond the arc, knocking down six shots from three-point territory.
However, that wasn’t the best part of the win. If you were to ask coach Mark Pope, he liked how things got a little physical, and there was a bit of a scuffle during the game.
Mark Pope loved the environment of the rivalry game
“It wouldn’t have been an appropriate game if it wasn’t a tension-filled mosh pit down in front of their bench,” Pope told On3. “That was probably the most fun part of the game, right?”
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope watches his team play against Lipscomb on Tuesday night, Nov. 19, 2024, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
Things escalated when Kentucky’s Brandon Garrison and Louisville’s Reyne Smith dove for a loose ball near their bench. They started shoving, and it didn’t take long before the coaches had to intervene. Even so, Pope understands what the players were going through:
“You have two programs with an insane amount of passion for winning, feeling all the joy, intensity, and stress of this rivalry,” the Wildcats coach said after the game.
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The Wildcats shot a scorching-hot 58.2% from the floor and 52.4% from beyond the arc. Now, they will look to get the best of the Ohio State Buckeyes in a high-flying matchup on Saturday.
