73 - 70 
For the first time since 2012-13, Louisville basketball is the king of the state of Kentucky.
The 10th-ranked Cardinals got 22 enormous points from homegrown product Quentin Snider and toppled No. 6 Kentucky 73-70 Wednesday night at the KFC Yum Center. Deng Adel added 18 points, while Jaylen Johnson and Donovan Mitchell each chipped in 14 points and 13 points, respectively.
Look, I could go on with the typical filler, but let's not beat around the bush about how big what we just saw go down was.
The Louisville/Kentucky game is always somewhat of an outlier, not necessarily because the best team doesn't always win (more times than not they do), but because the atmosphere, the way it's played and the way it's called is so different than any other game that either team plays all season. The fans behave differently, the players do things they ordinarily wouldn't, and I do think the officials call the game differently. Still, because of the amount of attention given to the game by the fans and the media, the importance of winning can't simply be tossed aside, especially when you're in a situation like the one the Cardinals were on Wednesday night.
Kentucky fans will talk about the recent history of the series, they'll say they have the higher ceiling, and they'll make awful hooker jokes. That's all fine. The fact is that the only that really matters right now is this year, and this year, Louisville is the king of the Commonwealth. Not Kentucky, Louisville. Feel free to remind anyone who forgets.
It's going to be a very, very happy holiday season in the Derby City. Soak it up.
