BOZICH | The Butler (33 points) does it as Kentucky beats Louisville, 93-85

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) — All the indicators kept saying Kentucky, easy. Really easy.

The way it’s been easy for Kentucky against Louisville year after year after year.

The Wildcats weren’t simply making shots against the University of Louisville in Rupp Arena Saturday, they were making shot after shot after shot. Threes. Drives. Fadeaways. Reverse layups.

The Wildcats (10-1) made their first five shots as well as 12 of their first 15. They were making better than 60% of their attempts deep into the second half, including 9 of their first 15 shots shots from distance.

What road team survives a punishing offensive performance like that? Louisville (6-5)  typically does not, at least not in this building.

But Pat Kelsey’s team was not agreeable to getting blown out. They’d fall behind by 12 and then cut the lead to four. They’d slip behind by 10 and then surge back to within 3. Big gap. Tiny gap. Back and forth.

"They've got a ton of fight and a ton of heart and leadership and seniority," UK coach Mark Pope said.

Imagine this: It was a rivalry game that felt like a rivalry game.

"I wish I could do it again," U of L forward Terrance Edwards said."Its the greatest atmosphere that I've ever played in ... It's like no other."

The final score was Kentucky 93, Louisville 85 -- on a day when U of L led for only 10 seconds but never trailed by more than a dozen despite the Wildcats' torrid offensive performance.

"Kentucky made some huge runs on us and I thought our guys responded with resiliency every time," Kelsey said.

The Wildcats needed a career performance from guard Lamont Butler, in his first game back from an ankle injury. Before Saturday, Butler had made 7 of 21 shots from distance this season. Against Louisville, Butler shot it like Steph Curry, making all six of his three-point attempts as well as all four of his 2-point field goals. That’s how you score 33 points.

"Lamont Butler was magnificent," Kelsey said. "I still see the kid in my nightmares. He's just a warrior. And a winner."

"Lamont Butler just gave us one of the all-time greatest performances in the history of this super special game," Pope said. "Like, of all time."

In four seasons at San Diego State, Butler never scored more than 23 points, the only two times he scored 20 in his career with the Aztecs.

The Cards were led, as usual, by Chucky Hepburn (26) and Edwards (23).

Mark it down as the Wildcats’ third straight victory in the rivalry as well as their 14th in the last 17 meetings. But make certain you note this was a different Kentucky-Louisville game than we’ve been conditioned to expect.

When your opponent makes 12 of its first 15 shots, including all four shots from distance you’re supposed to be in trouble. Major trouble. Come up with Plan B trouble.

"We just had to keep going," Edwards said. "It was a high level game."

Louisville was not in trouble at halftime, trailing by only 6, 46-40.

Why?

The Cards allowed the Wildcats only one offensive rebound and no second-chance points. They kept attempting threes. They did not make them at the same rate as the Wildcats, but they outscored UK 21-15 from distance.

More of the same in the second half. Butler made three shots from distance in the first three-plus minutes of the second half as the Wildcats pushed to a 10-point lead. Down to 3. Back to 10. In the final 10 minutes, UK never led by more than 10 or less than 5. The game pressure never disappeared. 

Neither did UK's lead. Pope said that 15 former UK players wrote letters to players on the current team, outlining what the rivalry and beating Louisville meant to them.

"That probably says it better than I ever could," Pope said.  "If you haven’t seen it, take a look at it because it’s really special to our guys. It is what Kentucky basketball is. Generation after generation being connected and understanding what it means.

"Those letters, I’ve got a copy of each one of those on my desk and they are really special to me and I think they are special to our guys."

"We have to do our part to make it a rivalry," Kelsey said. 

Next?

Both squads have the week off until Saturday. Louisville will travel to Florida State to play its second Atlantic Coast Conference game. Kentucky heads to Madison Square Garden to play Ohio State which was dominated by Auburn, 91-53.

"We know this thing is going to click," Edwards said. "It's going to click very soon. It's just a matter of time before we really get going."

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