Fight breaks out at Louisville v Kentucky and Mark Pope intervenes as nail biting finish makes tempers flare on court
Saturday's showdown between the Louisville Cardinals and the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats lived up to its billing as one of the most heated rivalries in college basketball. Tempers flared in the closing minutes of Kentucky's 93-85 win, following a loose ball scramble in front of the Cardinals' bench.
Kentucky held a 79-72 lead with 5:07 remaining in the second half when the incident occurred. Louisville's Reyne Smith dove for the loose ball, which headed straight into the Cardinals' bench after a Kentucky deflection. Brandon Garrison tried to steal the ball away from Smith and inadvertently hit him in the face during their battle for possession.
To make it worse, J'Vonne Hadley pushed Garrison away from Smith, causing the Kentucky forward to enter the Louisville bench. He was swarmed by Cardinals players, forcing Kentucky coach Mark Pope to head straight to the Louisville bench to intervene. Cooler heads eventually prevailed, with Garrison getting a personal foul for hitting Smith.
Otega Oweh leads Kentucky to 10th win with clutch baskets vs Louisville
The long delay after the incident affected both teams, with Louisville and Kentucky going scoreless for the next 1:50. Chucky Hepburn ended the scoring drought with a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to five points with 3:17 remaining in the game clock. That was the closest they would get to the Wildcats, who kept the Cardinals at bay thanks to timely baskets from Otega Oweh.
Oweh scored nine of the team's final 14 points to help the Wildcats record their 10th win of the season. He finished the game with 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting. He also recorded three assists and two steals in 26 minutes of action.
Four other players scored in double figures against Louisville. Lamont Butler starred for the Wildcats, scoring a game-high 33 points. He displayed perfection against the Cardinals, making all 10 of his field goal attempts. He was lights out from beyond the arc, going 6 of 6 from the 3-point area.
Jaxson Robinson added 12 points while Andrew Carr and Koby Brea each scored 10 points for Kentucky. Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr. carried the scoring cudgels for the Cardinals, combining for 49 points in a losing effort.