The Kentucky Wildcats hosted the University of Evansville Purple Aces in what was expected to be an early season, non-conference laugher on Tuesday night in Lexington.
As it turned out, the only ones laughing were the Purple Aces at the end of a shocking game.
#1 ranked Kentucky dropped a stunning game to Evansville by a 67-64 score in front of 19,101 stunned Big Blue fans who couldn’t believe that their squad had lost to a small conference foe.
Evansville entered the night as a 25-point underdog to the Wildcats, and no one expected them to win. It’s not even like Evansville was a mid-major power; the Purple Aces finished with an 11-21 record last season and were picked to finish near the bottom of their conference this year.
However, second-year coach Walter McCarty, a former Kentucky player proved that they are a team to be reckoned with in their toppling of the top-ranked Kentucky team.
Guards Noah Frederking and Sam Cunliffe scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, to lead the offensive charge for the pesky Purple Aces. It was an off night for Kentucky’s offensive, which managed a dismal 37% shooting mark in the loss.
The Wildcats’ reign at the top of the polls will certainly come to an end after this loss, and John Calipari’s men will look to rebound as they tune-up for conference play next month.
