The Kentucky Wildcats had their first big matchup of the season, as they took on the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday night for the Champions Classic. It was a very intense game, but Kentucky and Mark Pope were able to pull out the win in the second half, as Pope earned his first signature win as the Kentucky men’s basketball head coach.

Kentucky started off the game hot, going 5/5 from the 3 in the first half, but Duke went on a 25-13 run to lead the half at 46-37.

Kentucky was able to claw all the way back and eventually took the lead, but it was back and forth for the second half between Duke and Kentucky, where both teams were trading jabs with each other.

Kentucky went on to win 77-72 thanks to some late defensive stops and key rebounds to pull off the major upset. To come all the way back like they did showed how much heart this team has and you can never count out the ‘Cats going forward.

Game MVP

Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr was a main target for Pope when he became head coach at Kentucky and even before he had a full staff at Kentucky, Pope did not disappoint in getting the big man because he came in clutch when the team needed it.

Although Carr struggled on the defensive end, he made up for it on the offensive end, finishing with 17 points, 5/8 on FGs, 2-3 on 3-pointers, five rebounds, and three assists in a major game for the fifth-year player.

It was a special performance by the big man, where he continued to make big plays after big plays, even getting fouled, making the shot, and converting the and-one to tie the game at 67 a piece at the 3:57 mark and that is where Kentucky took over to win.

Also, a shoutout to the team’s overall defense, especially Otega Oweh. Kentucky has gotten plenty of praise for its offense, but the defense really stepped up in a big way tonight to help this team claw out a season-shifting victory.

What a game. What a win.

Let’s keep this party going.

Box Score

Highlights

Kentucky vs. Duke Twitter Reactions

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