Their superstar was lost for the rest of the game with cramping in his left leg and their momentum was slipping with Louisville back in the game because of a stingy 2-3 zone.
If ever these Kentucky Wildcats were going to take the next step in their evolution, it was now, in the heart of another classic Dream Game matchup, with the game teetering back and forth.
No. 18/18 UK, in search of its first win over a top-25 opponent this season, got the marquee victory it's been looking for and maybe quite a bit more in a thrilling 73-66 victory over its archrival, No. 6/4 Louisville, on Saturday in front of a season-high 24,396 boisterous fans at Rupp Arena.
“We grew up today,” John Calipari said.
They grew up together.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.