Where Were You?

[Random UK Fan]

Mardi Gras Miracle: Kentucky basketball mounted 31-point comeback vs. LSU 30 years ago today

Thirty years ago today, Kentucky rallied from a 31-point second-half deficit to stun LSU 99-95 in one of the wildest comebacks in NCAA history:

www.courier-journal.com

 

[Random UK Fan]

I was living on Winnipeg Way in Lexington, newly married 24 year old. Decided to stick it out because I had faith in our team. Glad I did! I don’t have that same faith these days (or the same wife) even with a slight deficit.

 

[know1]

Student at UK. I gave up on the game and went to bed not long before the come back started.

 

[CatPhight]

Never forget the look on Dale Brown's face...

 

[ukypug]

At a bar on Southland Dr. with many many beers consumed. The bar was crazy after that comeback!!!!😸

 

[rick64]

Went to bed. Got up the next morning to a call from my mom. She said “how about that game”??

 

[BlobUK]

I was 19. Taped it and went to my brother's high school game. Came back and watched it without knowing the score. It was awesome!!

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Hotel in Champaign. Went out to parking lot to listen to WHAS after ESPN cut away. Went back in after they announced game was back on ESPN.

Went to meeting next day and was getting ribbed by the UI/Wisconsin/Purdue folks about getting blown out. I said UK won. They laughed. Then I handed them my free USA Today Sports section.

 

[cat tat2]

I was so mad, I said I’m watching this to see how bad we get beat. Then the Cats got rolling and Dale Brown couldn’t do anything to stop it.

 

[know1]

Does anyone think any recent teams would fight back like that?

 

[Emarc]

Does anyone think any recent teams would fight back like that?

🤦‍♂️

 

[TheBlueMist]

Watched it at home alone because my mom and siblings gave up on the Cats after the first half.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Does anyone think any recent teams would fight back like that?

You mean like at WVU?

 

[UKBB4Ever]

At a hotel working on the road. I had an early morning meeting so I didn’t watch the end.

Didn’t know we had come back until breakfast.

 

[catlogic15]

Checked into my hotel room in Atlanta with 10 minutes left. Crazy.

 

[Titpwhami2014]

I was in middle school. Went to bed at halftime. Woke up the next morning and was shocked in the best way possible!

 

[BlueSince92]

Watched it with my buddy in his basement on Pasadena ave. I was just cheering the whole way but my buddy kept thinking all those miracle threes were poor shot choices. Time and time and time again he kept yelling, “DAMMI——uh..YEAH!!!!!” 😂

 

[Ugoff]

Tickets sports bar in Covington Kentucky. Was with my roommate from Connecticut who was enjoying my misery a little too much. I remember running around the bar and high fiving everyone in there when it was over. Fantastic.

 

[michaeluk26]

Mom made me go to bed after that 31. About 20 minutes later she told me to come downstairs to the living room. I remember the first play I saw was Brassow hitting back to back 3s. Shit imma go watch it on YouTube real quick.

 

[KyCatFan]

Was stationed in Omaha, NE. Almost gave up on them, but stuck it out and was rewarded for my dedication.

 

[NavyCat88]

I was stationed in Georgia in military housing and getting ready to transfer to a frigate in Mayport, Florida.

My wife and two small kids were sacked out, so I was watching alone. I almost turned it off when we were down 31, but I said: “I’ll just watch the final minutes to see if we can make the margin of loss respectable.”

Boy Howdy! What an ending. I remember Walter McCarty’s baseline 3 in the final minutes and those crazy stripes on the shorts.

Back then, Kentucky basketball was “ can’t miss TV.” Today….the “new guy” - short tenure model is not as compelling.

GBB!

 

[Samurai Cat]

Stationed in Minot, ND...which is where Dale Brown is from. Was about to turn it off, but something told me to keep watching

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Was a junior playing basketball in high school. Got knocked out in the third quarter. Was in ER for most of the night, got stitches.

Got home and turned game on when Kentucky took the lead. Missed the comeback.

 

[KYCAT78]

Watching game on TV. If Cal had been coaching that team I would have went to bed.

 

[YardCat]

BUD’s Class 188 - Coronado, Ca. Watched the game in barracks while cleaning the floor and sharpening my K-bar.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Haggin Hall - C Block, third floor. After we were down big, I went out into the hall and just paced angrily. I heard my buddies inside the room (we had 6 others crammed into the dorm room) cheer a couple of times and I went back in. Watched the rest of the comeback then partied. The courtyard in Haggin was like a big student section doing CATS Cheers and drinking lots of beers.

 

[thedahc]

Does anyone think any recent teams would fight back like that?

Yes (sorry to ruin your grumpy "back in my day" post)

Mardi Gras Miracle team was down 19 with 12 minutes to go and won

2020 team was down 18 with 12 minutes to go and won

How UK pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in the Calipari era vs. Florida

Trailing by 18 points with 11:55 to play, Kentucky scored 32 points, held Florida to just nine points over the final 8:18 and somehow, won their final regular season game without Ashton Hagans.

www.aseaofblue.com

 

[ukwazoo]

Mom made me go to bed after that 31. About 20 minutes later she told me to come downstairs to the living room. I remember the first play I saw was Brassow hitting back to back 3s. Shit imma go watch it on YouTube real quick.

Similar here. My dad said "time for bed". School night and I only got to stay up late on school nights for games, but this one was over. Then my dad comes back a little later, wakes me up and says, "UK's cut it to 10!" I was immediately awake.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

I was 3 months old. Not sure where I was

 

[TFCats11]

Living in Owensboro Ky. with my parents watching the game with my Dad and a friend.

 

[cats2010]

You mean like at WVU?

Think we came back from 14 at WVU, maybe 17, nowhere near 31.

 

[Cawood86]

Working 2nd shift. Recorded the game. Did not know the outcome. Got home around midnight. Started watching it and got so mad I threw my VCR remote and it went into pieces. Had to put it back together. Figured I'd watch this train wreck anyhow. Could not hardly belive the comeback. Still remember the shot by McCarty from the corner.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Does anyone think any recent teams would fight back like that?

Nope. We don’t play a style that warrants even a halfway decent probability for us to make a comeback of that magnitude. We made miraculous comebacks quite regularly under Pitino. Like being down 9 with 90 seconds remaining in OT against Arkansas in the SECT title game in 1995. We somehow won that game.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

You mean like at WVU?

Lmao nice comeback. Nowhere near the comeback at LSU.

 

[Rockford]

At home (Near Owensboro)
Had 7 year old twin boys, already hardened UK fans.
IIRC it was a late game time on a school night.

At halftime, Mrs. Rockford decreed it was bedtime for the Young Cats.
Papa Rock concurred, because we were hopelessly behind anyway and I had some things to do to prepare for work the next day.
Plus, I knew, as the boys did, one of them had a TV in their room and they would do the old "fake sleep” trick and watch anyway. Mrs. Rockford retired for the night.

So, while sitting at the computer, I heard one son call out from across the house:
Son: “Dad, we’re down twenty"
Dad: (Without looking up). “That’s nice, go to bed"
Several minutes later
Son: “Dad, we’re down ten"
Dad: (Stops working, looks up). “How much time?"

So, needless to say, the viewing on the big TV in the living room was renewed.
When Walter hit the gamer, me and the Twin Rocks were jumping up and down, shouting and screaming.
Mrs. Rockford, awakened from her hibernation, came out and joined the party.

Good, good times.

BTW, in the last 15:44 UK scored 62 points.

 

[Bluesbrother]

Similar here. My dad said "time for bed". School night and I only got to stay up late on school nights for games, but this one was over. Then my dad comes back a little later, wakes me up and says, "UK's cut it to 10!" I was immediately awake.

LOL ... what a great DAD!

 

[the nail at the foul line]

BUD’s Class 188 - Coronado, Ca. Watched the game in barracks while cleaning the floor and sharpening my K-bar.

Wow.

Be nice to YardCat.

 

[kennyskywalker34]

Watching at home like usual. No I didn't think they would comeback from that far down. No I didn't stop watching. I never turn off games.
I can't believe it's been 30 years. Where did the time go?

 

[MegaBlue05]

Seventh grade. I, as others have mentioned, was only able to stay up late for games on school nights.

Parents sent me to bed at halftime. Mom also went to bed. My dad was seething and said he was going to stay up to see how bad they’d get beat. Bummed, I went to bed.

Next thing I know, dad came running and screaming into my room saying they’d won. I didn’t believe him.

He’d taped the game while he watched it, so he woke my mom and we all sat and watched from when we were down 31 to the end of the game. Being the good parents they were, they let me sleep in and signed me into school late the next day. I remember Brassow was huge in that game and Chris Harrison made a couple 3s. The McCarty 3 from the corner and celebratory arm swing is what I remember most.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Seventh grade. I, as others have mentioned, was only able to stay up late for games on school nights.

Parents sent me to bed at halftime. Mom also went to bed. My dad was seething and said he was going to stay up to see how bad they’d get beat. Bummed, I went to bed.

Next thing I know, dad came running and screaming into my room saying they’d won. I didn’t believe him.

He’d taped the game while he watched it, so he woke my mom and we all sat and watched from when we were down 31 to the end of the game. Being the good parents they were, they let me sleep in and signed me into school late the next day. I remember Brassow was huge in that game and Chris Harrison made a couple 3s. The McCarty 3 from the corner and celebratory arm swing is what I remember most.

How did you watch the game from when they're down 31? ESPN cut away for five or six minutes. Even the KET broadcast had the cut away part. Were there parts of Kentucky where the game was not cut away from because I was out of state during that game?