Kentucky’s victory over Louisville a ‘great Christmas gift’ for Big Blue Nation
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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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After his career-high 27 points led Kentucky to a thrilling overtime victory over archrival Louisville, Tyrese Maxey was — duh — in a good mood.
“Merry Christmas,” he told reporters after UK’s 78-70 victory. “Lexington. Yeah. Great Christmas gift. We got the ‘dub.’”
Kentucky’s victory, which came in the always intense rivalry’s first overtime game since the original “Dream Game” in the 1983 NCAA Tournament, was also something of a Father’s Day gift.
Maxey said his father, Tyrone, attended the game, accompanied by the UK freshman’s mother, sisters and uncle.
Maxey credited his father for the startling shooting resurrection he displayed. After making only two of 20 three-point shots in the last five games, Maxey equaled the career-high four he made against Lamar. And he needed only five attempts to do it. The revival included a tweak in Maxey’s shooting motion.
“He was telling me to stay in there, stay locked in, hold my follow-through, to be confident,” Maxey said of his father’s advice. “I’d been shooting it and releasing it and not holding my follow-through.”
The idea of Maxey staying confident sounded odd, especially after he reminded reporters of earlier comments about keeping the faith.
“Last time I had media, I told you all I wasn’t going to quit shooting,” Maxey said, “and that’s why I believe in myself. I put the work in. I put the time in. It’s going to fall. And tonight it fell.”
The falling was well-timed.
With Nick Richards scoring seven of his 13 points in overtime, Kentucky needed a good performance to outlast No. 3 Louisville.
Richards’ overtime points included a flash to the post for a layup that put UK ahead 70-68 with 1:20 left.
After he 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.
“Nicholas,” Maxey called Richards. “He hooped tonight.”
After Immanuel Quickley and 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. 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.
“All I remember was the big dude in the paint,” Maxey said. “I was really trying to get the foul. But I always tell our strength coach: I’m a Great Dane. Like, I’m strong. So that was a Great Dane moment.”
Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble, one of three fifth-year senior starters for Louisville, answered with a heavily contested driving shot of his own to tie with 10.6 seconds left.
Maxey had a chance at the game-winning shot in regulation. But his floater missed, and Keion Brooks had a tip-in that seemed destined to go in. But it rimmed out.
“I didn’t see that,” Maxey said. “I shot the floater and fell to the ground. I heard everybody screaming. What happened? What happened?”
Maxey’s third three-pointer came with 11.8 seconds left in the first half and gave Kentucky a 32-24 lead at intermission.
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. The Cards shot 7-for-27 from beyond the arc for the game.
The second half started well for Kentucky. 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, Dwayne 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 EJ Montgomery and Nate Sestina were whistled for their third fouls.
This came during a 10-1 Louisville run that reduced UK’s lead to 41-40. That prompted a Kentucky timeout with 13:07 left.
When Steven 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.
Next games
Missouri at No. 19 Kentucky: 2 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network)
No. 17 Florida State at No. 3 Louisville: 2 p.m. Saturday
This story was originally published December 28, 2019 at 8:24 PM.
