Kentucky stages a revival in overtime victory over Louisville
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Game day: Kentucky beats Louisville in OT
Click here to read all of the Lexington Herald-Leader’s coverage from Saturday’s 78-70 University of Kentucky men’s basketball overtime victory over Louisville in Rupp Arena.
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With Rupp Arena transformed into a basketball psychiatric ward, Kentucky and Louisville staged their first overtime game since the original “Dream Game” in the 1983 NCAA Tournament.
That Mideast Region finals matchup in Knoxville 36 years ago was so riveting that it forced UK to submit to public pressure and agree to a series with Louisville.
This one served as a memorable revival for Kentucky.
Neither team led by more than six points in the final 14:55 of regulation and until the last moments of the five-minute overtime.
While UK faltered in this situation in Las Vegas last week. Utah and Ohio State out-executed the Cats down the stretch to win.
Against Louisville, Kentucky executed — and needed to — to win 78-70.
UK got points on 12 of its final 15 trips downcourt. Nick Richards, who made little impression in Las Vegas, loomed large. He scored seven points in overtime, including a flash to the post for a layup that put UK ahead 70-68 with 1:20 left.
After Louisville tied it, Richards got fouled on a pick-and-roll move to the basket. He made both free throws to restore a two-point lead with 27.4 seconds left.
After Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey each made two free throws, Ashton Hagans capped the victory with a steal and transition dunk.
No. 19 UK improved to 9-3 overall. No. 3 Louisville, which fell to 11-2, got points on only one of its final seven possessions.
Maxey, who staged an individual resurrection, made a heavily contested shot in the lane to put Kentucky ahead 61-59 with 29.5 seconds left in the second half.
Maxey, who had made only two of 20 three-point shots in the last five games, made four of five against Louisville. His 27 points were one better than the 26 he made against Michigan State in the opening game.
Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble, one of three fifth-year senior starters for Louisville, answered with a heavily contested driving shot of his own.
Maxey’s third three-pointer came with 11.8 seconds left in the first half and gave Kentucky a 32-24 lead at intermission.
Maxey led all first-half scorers with 13 points, which included the final five points.
While UK made four three-pointers (which equaled or surpassed the team’s total in five previous games), defense was largely responsible for the halftime lead.
Louisville made only 11 of 31 shots. The Cards’ 1-for-11 shooting from three-point range completed a role reversal from recent Kentucky games.
U of L’s top three scorers — Jordan Nwora, Steven Enoch and Ryan McMahon — made only five of 18 shots. Nwora made only one of eight shots: a driving layup while being fouled to give Louisville’s its last lead: 15-14 with 7:53 left.
As Dwayne Sutton suggested on Friday, Louisville got off to a good start. The Cards made three of their first five shots in zipping to a 6-2 lead.
“We know they are coming out with a two-game losing streak and are going to come out with a lot of fight as we are as well,” Sutton said on Friday. “We need to set the tone the first four minutes. Let them know who we are from the jump.”
In the rest of the half, U of L made only eight of 26 shots.
The second half started well for Kentucky. Twice inside the first three minutes, UK got points on second-chance opportunities. U of L missed its first three shots from beyond the arc, making the Cards’ one for 14.
When Quickley hit a three-pointer on a second-chance possession, Kentucky had its first double-digit lead at 38-26. Louisville called time with 16:53 left to ponder.
Out of the timeout, Sutton drove hard to the basket and drew Richards’ third foul with 16:42 left. That suggested the Cards might borrow from UK’s modus operandi by holstering the three-point shooting and driving to the basket.
Foul trouble seemed to stall Kentucky’s momentum in the second half. Inside two-plus minutes, Richards picked up his third and fourth fouls, while Montgomery and Sestina were whistled for their third fouls.
This came during a 10-1 Louisville run that reduced UK’s lead to 41-40. Kimble capped the mini-run with a three pointer, only U of L’s third of the game. It prompted a Kentucky timeout with 13:07 left.
When Enoch hit a three-pointer with 9:31 left, it put Louisville ahead 46-45. That marked the first time UK had trailed since 7:25 remained in the first half.
Maxey — who else this game? — countered. His hit a three-pointer to put UK ahead 48-46. It was his fourth of the game, and UK’s sixth.
That set the stage for another test of execution and will down the stretch of a possession-by-possession game.
This story was originally published December 28, 2019 at 6:35 PM.
