Sports

After a season of some pretty bad basketball all around, this was 40 minutes of fun. After some ups and downs during the past 16 years, this was 40 minutes of Rick Pitino cementing his legend, becoming the first coach to win a national title at two different schools. After 12 months, it took just 40 minutes to bring the NCAA championship trophy right back to the commonwealth. Last year, Kentucky. This year, Louisville. Take that North Carolina. Take that Indiana. Take that all those other so-called basketball states. And Louisville had to earn the title, outlasting a young and talented Michigan team, superbly coached by John Beilein, that led the Cards by as many as 12 points in the first half before finally falling 82-76.

The Louisville Cardinals advanced Saturday evening to the NCAA Tournament championship game, but not before getting a scare from the Wichita State Shockers. The overall No. 1-seeded Cardinals trailed by a point at halftime and through most of the second half to the No. 9 seed Shockers, but managed to come back as the game closed.

The Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team pulled another upset Tuesday night to earn a spot in the Final Four. U of L topped the Tennessee Lady Vols 86-78 in Oklahoma City. In winning, the No. 5 seed Cardinals beat a better-seeded team for the third straight game—No. 4 seed Purdue, No. 1 seed Baylor and the second-seeded Tennessee.

Old collegiate rivalries and new money drove the economic engine that pushed Western Kentucky University to seek an affiliation with Conference USA, WKU President Gary Ransdell said Monday. Ransdell said with the geography of the C-USA membership, student-athletes will experience less travel time, as will fans. “So much of this is positive for WKU,” he said.

The Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball team was lost their bid Monday for their first Final Four appearance. The No. 2 seed Wildcats lost 83-53 to the UConn Huskies in Bridgeport, Conn., ending UK’s most successful season in history with a 30-6 record and a second-place regular season finish in the Southeastern Conference.

Louisville Cardinals guard Kevin Ware had successful surgery late Sunday on his right leg broken during an Elite Eight game and is expected to remain in Indianapolis' Methodist Hospital until at least Tuesday, the university said. He's hopeful to return to Louisville mid-week and join the team for next weekend's Final Four in Atlanta, the university added.

The Louisville Cards and Kentucky Wildcats are both headed to the third round of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament. Second-seeded UK advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a 84-70 victory tonight over Dayton.     The Wildcats will face Delaware, a number six seed, Saturday in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The University of Louisville and University of Kentucky women’s basketball teams resume play tonight in the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals advanced to the second round with a victory over MiddleTennessee State Sunday.  Fifth-seeded U of L takes number four Purdue at 7:00pm at the KFC Yum Center.

The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team easily beat the Colorado State Rams on Saturday to advance in the NCAA Tournament. The top-seeded Cardinals expanded on a 14-point halftime lead to win 82-56 in Lexington's Rupp Arena—which some fans were dubbing "Russ Arena," in acknowledgment of Louisville star guard Russ Smith. Smith led the Cardinals with 27 points.

The Louisville Cardinals have advanced in the men’s NCAA tournament, easily winning their opener 79-48 over North Carolina A&T tonight in Lexington. Russ Smith led the Cards with 23 points and eight steals.    U of L, the tournament’s top overall seed, will face Colorado State Saturday in third round tournament action at Rupp Arena

Downtown Lexington is often a hectic spot, particularly when there’s  a big game a Rupp Arena.  Events like this week’s N-C-double-A tournament are money makers for the hospitality industry.  But, it also offers ‘longer term’ economic opportunities.  Among the fans coming to Lexington for the national sporting event are likely numerous corporate leaders. Lexington Mayor Jim Gray says it gives him a chance to sell the city to potential employers.

With the number one overall seed, a Big East Tournament title and a nine-game winning streak on its resume,  the University of Louisville begins play in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament tomorrow  in Lexington.  The Cards take on North Carolina A&T, which defeated Liberty in Tuesday’s play-in game.  It was the Aggies’ first-ever NCAA tournament victory.

The season is over for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team. The top-seeded Wildcats were defeated 59-57 tonight by Robert Morris University in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.

A new strategy in Lexington should eliminate ‘brown outs.’  To save money on staff, the city occasionally takes fire trucks out of service.  It now has plans to temporarily restore some overtime pay and hire new employees.  As a result, Assistant Fire Chief Harold Hoskins says they should have enough personnel to fully staff those trucks.  “By the time that second class graduates from recruit training in November, mid November, we’re hoping before Thanksgiving, then our staffing numbers should be up enough to where we’ll be able to staff all our companies without overtime.  So, between now and Thanksgiving we’re looking at overtime to fill the gaps,” said Hoskins.

College tournament basketball is off and running this week.    For the first time in 68 years, Eastern Kentucky University has won a post season tourney game.  E-K-U got a hard fought 69-62 victory over Gardner Webb last night in Boiling Springs North Carolina.  The Colonels are competing in the College Insider dot com tournament.  Eastern will learn later today who will be their next opponent.

Five Thirty Eight's Nate Silver is famous for accurately forecasting presidential elections, but he also correctly picked the 2012 NCAA men's basketball champion—the Kentucky Wildcats. This year, Silver is forecasting that the Louisville Cardinals have the best chance of winning the NCAA Tournament, though he cautions that they're not overwhelming favorites.