Calipari faces mixed reaction with return to Rupp Arena but comes out with big win 89-79
Updated: 12:02 AM EST Feb 2, 2025
It was a mixture of applause and booing as Arkansas head coach John Calipari returned to Rupp Arena to face his old team, the Kentucky Wildcats, Saturday night.Calipari had the last laugh though as his Razorbacks handled Kentucky by delivering a convincing 89-79 loss. The atmosphere was electric as the sold-out arena filled with fans looking to see what it would be like when their old coach took on new coach Mark Pope.The game delivered on every level of expectation as the No. 12 Cats and Razorbacks traded blows with each other for the entirety of the first half.The lead never got close to double-digits for either team, and Arkansas just happened to be on top by a point at the halftime buzzer, 46-45.Then, in the second half, Arkansas poured it on, raining down three-point shots and attacking the rim as the Kentucky defense seemed to falter on how to handle it.Despite Arkansas getting up 11 points on Kentucky twice, the Cats never considered themselves out of it, cutting the lead to seven with around four minutes to go in the game.The Razorbacks pulled back away from there and didn’t look back. “It’s tough to win here,” said Calipari after the game. “Sometimes during the game I thought we were losing because I was looking at the Kentucky score. I was here for 15 years.” Kentucky had two players score 20 or more with Amari Williams notching 22 and Jaxon Robinson having 20. Williams also led the Cats on the boards with 11 rebounds. But it was Arkansas’ three players who used to play for Kentucky that had made the biggest statements.Adou Thiero led the Razorbacks with 21 points and eight rebounds while DJ Wagner put 17 points and had 8 assists. Zvonimir Ivisic, known to Kentucky fans last year as “Big Z,” had 14 points. Kentucky has to shake off the loss to its old coach and prepare for its next matchup in the loaded Southeastern Conference.They will travel to No. 23 Ole Miss on Tuesday, Feb. 4. That game tips at 7 p.m.This story will be updated.
LEXINGTON, Ky. —It was a mixture of applause and booing as Arkansas head coach John Calipari returned to Rupp Arena to face his old team, the Kentucky Wildcats, Saturday night.
Calipari had the last laugh though as his Razorbacks handled Kentucky by delivering a convincing 89-79 loss.
The atmosphere was electric as the sold-out arena filled with fans looking to see what it would be like when their old coach took on new coach Mark Pope.
The game delivered on every level of expectation as the No. 12 Cats and Razorbacks traded blows with each other for the entirety of the first half.
The lead never got close to double-digits for either team, and Arkansas just happened to be on top by a point at the halftime buzzer, 46-45.
Then, in the second half, Arkansas poured it on, raining down three-point shots and attacking the rim as the Kentucky defense seemed to falter on how to handle it.
Despite Arkansas getting up 11 points on Kentucky twice, the Cats never considered themselves out of it, cutting the lead to seven with around four minutes to go in the game.
The Razorbacks pulled back away from there and didn’t look back.
“It’s tough to win here,” said Calipari after the game. “Sometimes during the game I thought we were losing because I was looking at the Kentucky score. I was here for 15 years.”
Kentucky had two players score 20 or more with Amari Williams notching 22 and Jaxon Robinson having 20.
Williams also led the Cats on the boards with 11 rebounds.
But it was Arkansas’ three players who used to play for Kentucky that had made the biggest statements.
Adou Thiero led the Razorbacks with 21 points and eight rebounds while DJ Wagner put 17 points and had 8 assists. Zvonimir Ivisic, known to Kentucky fans last year as “Big Z,” had 14 points.
Kentucky has to shake off the loss to its old coach and prepare for its next matchup in the loaded Southeastern Conference.
They will travel to No. 23 Ole Miss on Tuesday, Feb. 4. That game tips at 7 p.m.
This story will be updated.
