Ever since neutral-site regular season games became fashionable, Kentucky fans have seen some great games. Out of John Wall In 2009, he hit a game-winning shot at Madison Square Garden Malik Monk From the 47 games in Las Vegas in 2016 to this year when the Wildcats pulled off an upset of Duke in Atlanta, these games have produced some incredible contests. Call it recency bias if you will, but this may have been the best of it yet.

It’s hard to call Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle a neutral venue, since the PA announcer made a point of referring to the Zags as “YOUR Gonzaga Bulldogs,” but technically it is, since the game isn’t in Spokane took place.

Whatever you want to call it, it was great.

The slow start has disappointed Kentucky fans

Kentucky set a school record for the largest halftime deficit by trailing by 16 at halftime, but if we’re being honest, a blowout seemed inevitable. There are some games where you know it’s over from the opening tip, and this felt like one of them. In the first half, Gonzaga outscored the Wildcats at every possible position and in every way. They were superior in personnel, coaching, execution, hustle, you name it. All the outs were there for Kentucky in the worst possible way.

This isn’t exactly an expert analysis, it’s just Kentucky looked out of place on the pitch. I can say it in the most non-derogatory way possible: if you hid the names on the jerseys, it looked like a mid-tier team out there against a national title contender.

The atmosphere in the arena matched what was happening on the pitch. The crowd was about 80 percent Gonzaga fans and the Washington locals were loud. Their passion differs from that of SEC fans in that they are much more polite, but no less intense, with their fanaticism. Kentucky fans, on the other hand, pondered their life decision to make the long journey and dreaded the flight home.

But then came the second half.

Kentucky fans came alive with their team

Kentucky’s locker room served as a phone booth as Clark Kent entered at halftime and Superman emerged. Praise Kentucky’s defensive shifts, praise Gonzaga for missing a few bunnies, praise whatever you want, but Kentucky did what seemed impossible and the crowd lived and died in every moment.

Chants of “Go Big Blue” rang out several times, and at one point toward the end of the game during a timeout, the Kentucky fans were so loud with their chants that the arena turned up the loudspeaker to drown them out. Gonzaga fans did what they could to contain the Big Blue Nation’s excitement, often intentionally amplifying their own cheers to take advantage of their numerical advantage, but the 20 percent of fans wearing a more regal shade of blue made their presence known.

Ultimately, it all led to one of the most remarkable regular season wins in recent memory. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few called it similar to a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight game, and he wasn’t wrong. Having seen many of these games over the years, I can tell you firsthand that this was one of, if not, the best The the best we have ever seen.

For the Kentucky fans who made the trip to the Pacific Northwest, it was worth the trip. And as for the fans at home, Mark Pope said after the game: “The people who went to sleep at half-time will be so sad.”