Mauer had previously been the coach of Kentucky until he was let go and replaced by Adolph Rupp, adding additional bitterness to the rivalry. Kentucky lost to the Volunteers, 81-73. The barrel tradition was mutually discontinued in 1998 following a fatal alcohol-related car crash involving two Kentucky football players. The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team took on Tennessee in Rupp Arena on Tuesday night. Fulky! 6 Kentucky 81-73 behind Fulkerson’s 27 points and six rebounds. The football rivalry was once a trophy game known as the Battle for the Barrel, with the victors keeping a painted wooden beer barrel, one half each painted in Vol orange the other in Wildcat blue, until the next contest. The official Men's Basketball page for the University of Kentucky Wildcats Then James took the game into his own hands – literally. Tennessee did not trail for the final 6:47, and Pons scored seven points down the stretch, including a tie-snapping 3-pointer. The passionate rivalry between these two Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools, located about 173 miles (278 km) apart, dates to their first college football game in 1893, and has continued across all sports, with the men's basketball series gaining particular attention in recent years. Fulky!”. To date Tennessee has more wins against Kentucky than any other team.[6]. The two teams first played in 1910. Tennessee shot 56.5% from the field in the first half and still trailed by 11, as a familiar problem returned. Jordan Bowden passed to Fulkerson, who kicked out to James. [4] Kentucky won the game 67-66 after a last minute missed Tennessee free throw, splitting the conference title and taking away Tennessee's hopes of a tournament bid. Kentucky victories are shaded in blue, while Tennessee wins are shaded in orange. He commanded the Vols offense for the final 16-plus minutes to alter the game. Fulkerson free throws cut it to five, and a Pons jumper made it five again. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The Vols forward couldn’t spot the score anywhere but the top of the videoboard at Rupp Arena. In the 2010s, the rivalry was relatively even, with the Wildcats holding a s slim 13 to 8 lead. Louisville Cardinals basketball players, coach Chris Mack lead march, call for unity after Breonna Taylor ruling. © 2020 www.knoxnews.com. I knew if everybody comes to play, we can get the job done.”. The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry refers to the rivalry between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville Cardinals. [5], The rivalry has been among the biggest for both schools. “Just take care of it.”. (Kentucky has) improved a lot, but across the board, again I said it, not one guy didn’t help us get done what we needed to get done here tonight.”. He hit a 3-pointer and Fulkerson made a baseline jumper. James dunked, so did Jalen Johnson and Tennessee shrunk the lead to 51-43. Fulkerson made all seven field-goal attempts in the first half to notch 15 points. James sparked the run after a sleepy first half.