The Kentucky Wildcats entered as a 6.5-point underdog on the spread Tuesday evening, taking on the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils in the second game of the Champions Classic. The Cats started the season 2-0 and finished the night with a third win under their belt and the first signature victory of the Mark Pope era.

Mark Pope and Co. popped out to a quick start, but they couldn’t stay hot from deep and eventually took a 46-37 deficit into the half. The second half was Kentucky’s real time to shine, outscoring the Blue Devils 40-26 in the second frame and coming away with a 77-72 victory.

Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr, who earned from praise from Duke head coach Jon Scheyer after the game, led the Cats with 17 points. He was among three starters that ended in double figures.

That said, this was Pope’s first real test as Kentucky’s head coach, and it went about as well as one could ask for. Scheyer spoke on what really stood out to him on Kentucky’s side.

“A ton of respect for him and them. Their offense has been impressive watching on film,” Scheyer said of Pope. “They executed really well down the stretch, really well. I think that’s where that experience really paid off. They shared it. They were patient. Give them all the credit in the world, all the credit. I think they showed incredible maturity, and their experience came out in that second half. No question.”

Scheyer also made it clear that college basketball is better when Kentucky is relevant.

“College basketball is at its best when those two programs (Duke and Kentucky) are really good,” he said.

All offseason, it was debated if this Cats team had a true playmaker, but the unselfishness on the court mattered even more. The 10 triples they were able to hit helped, too. And all this came with go-to scorer Jaxson Robinson notching just one point on the night.

Kentucky has five more games until its December 7th battle against the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs, a team that looks like one of the country’s best and most sound teams. That’ll be another big challenge for Pope, but based on the early returns, they’ll be ready for the fight.