LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) \u2013\u00a0This was Louisville\u2019s \u201cwe\u2019re back\u201d moment. Back in the national rankings. Back in the national conversation. Back in front of a sellout crowd at home.<\/p>\n
But if you\u2019re Louisville, you can do all those things \u2014 and until you\u2019ve beaten Kentucky, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n
Now, it matters.<\/p>\n
Louisville 95, Kentucky 88.<\/p>\n
This was a night when the rivalry returned. It was the first meeting in six years where both teams were ranked. The largest crowd in the KFC Yum! Center in nine seasons \u2014 22,586. Donovan Mitchell manned the left sideline. He was on the last Louisville team that beat a good Kentucky team.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not going to talk about the seven of eight free throws Louisville missed to finish the game. That\u2019s for another column.<\/p>\n
This was Louisville\u2019s night \u2014 its first win in the series since 2020. A national statement on ESPN that the Cardinals are ready for prime time. At least they were on this frigid night in November.<\/p>\n
Louisville made threes (13-for-40). Kentucky was better around the basket (a 40\u201336 edge in the paint).<\/p>\n
But Louisville had the better backcourt in the game, and perhaps staked a claim for one of the better backcourts in the nation.<\/p>\n
Mikel Brown Jr.\u00a0was the best player on the court. He had 21 first-half points before cramping up in the second. But he came through again when it mattered and finished with 29.<\/p>\n
Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell\u00a0was right there with him, matching Kentucky\u2019s physicality and shot-making. He had 24.<\/p>\n
But Kentucky had weapons too, even without starting forward\u00a0Trent Noah, the \u201cMountain Mamba.\u201d Picking up the slack was\u00a0Denzel Aberdeen, a Florida transfer who\u2019s played on a national championship stage and looked right at home under the lights. He finished with 26.<\/p>\n
Then\u00a0Collin Chandler\u00a0entered the chat.<\/p>\n
He hit three massive three-pointers in the game\u2019s final 10 minutes \u2014 the last pulling Kentucky within four and signaling “game on” for the home stretch.<\/p>\n
Louisville led 53\u201346 at halftime. It marked the third straight game with 50 first-half points \u2014 the first time that\u2019s happened since 1974. But they\u2019d need more.<\/p>\n
Kentucky didn\u2019t go quietly. After falling behind 78\u201358, the Wildcats launched a 12\u20133 run to close the gap.<\/p>\n
Louisville missed five of six shots \u2014 then six of nine \u2014 and Kentucky kept charging.<\/p>\n
Chandler buried back-to-back threes to cut the deficit from 17 to 11 with under 10 minutes left. A\u00a0Malachi Moreno\u00a0dunk with 4:53 remaining made it 87\u201381, prompting a Kelsey timeout.<\/p>\n
Chandler struck again from deep at the 4-minute mark \u2014 88\u201384.<\/p>\n
When\u00a0Adrian Wooley\u00a0was tied up after an offensive rebound, Kentucky got the ball and trailed by just four with 3:35 to play. Media timeout.<\/p>\n
Conwell fouled\u00a0Jaland Lowe\u00a0with 3:16 left, but Lowe missed the front end of a one-and-one.<\/p>\n
Louisville ball.\u00a0Brown took it at the top, drove straight to the rim, scored, and drew contact. Three-point play. Louisville\u2019s lead back to seven \u2014 91\u201384.<\/p>\n
Aberdeen answered with a basket. Brown answered with two free throws. 93\u201386 Cards.<\/p>\n
Kentucky missed a pair of threes. On the other end, Conwell muscled to the rim for two more \u2014 95\u201386.<\/p>\n
Aberdeen drove for another layup. Timeout Kentucky, down seven.<\/p>\n
After the timeout, Kentucky defended well. Aberdeen guarded Brown. Conwell drove and kicked to\u00a0Isaac McKneely\u00a0for a missed three, but\u00a0Sananda Fru, who was tremendous all night, grabbed the biggest rebound of the game \u2014 an offensive board and dish back to Conwell. Kentucky had to foul.<\/p>\n
Conwell missed both free throws with 52 seconds left, but\u00a0J\u2019Vonne Hadley\u00a0soared for the rebound. Louisville kept the ball, and Kentucky had to foul again with 44.2 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n
Hadley missed two more. Kentucky still had a pulse.<\/p>\n
But\u00a0Lowe dribbled out of bounds\u00a0under the basket with 36 seconds left.<\/p>\n
Hadley went back to the line. Missed twice. Again.<\/p>\n
Kentucky couldn\u2019t convert. And Louisville ran out the clock.<\/p>\n
Fru finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. McKneely, Wooley, and Hadley added nine points apiece. The Cardinals outscored Kentucky 19\u201310 off turnovers and dished out 20 assists.<\/p>\n
More to come.<\/p>\n
More Coverage:<\/strong><\/p>\n CRAWFORD | Early or late, Louisville’s Kelsey feels the gravity of the Kentucky rivalry<\/a><\/p>\n