Kentucky to Round 2 NIT

Kentucky wins opener

Snapped was the consecutive NCAA Tournament bids at 17 and still Wildcat faithful filled the Memorial Coliseum to capacity and supported Kentucky to a 70-60 victory over the UNLV Running Rebels.

Gone was the stress and pressure from the Cats shoulders as they appeared to play looser than they had before.

"It was a real good win for us. It was a lot of fun in there.” Said Coach Billy GIllispie after the game.

For the first time all season it seemed that although the season did not go as planned, everyone from the fans to players to coaches to media were at peace with the state of Kentucky basketball. After the game, Coach Gillispie, a man under fire for nearly all of his 2 years here took time high fiving fans and thanking them for coming out and rooting on this team.

The victory now puts the Cats into the second round of a tournament, something which has not occurred for Kentucky in two years. The next opponent is the Creighton Bluejays. The Jays earned a 1 seed in the NIT by finishing the season tied for first in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 27-7 overall record.