If the city of Fayetteville never sees the Kentucky Wildcats again, it will probably be too soon.
In a span of 24 hours, the University of Kentucky walked into Bud Walton Arena twice and walked out with two massive victories.
First, Mark Pope and the men's team won the "Calipari Bowl" in a street fight. Then, Kenny Brooks and the women's team snapped a three-game skid with an offensive explosion.
It was a clean sweep for the Cats, and a weekend that Big Blue Nation won't forget anytime soon.
Men's team: The Doug Shows show win
The headlines going into Saturday were all about John Calipari. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the story was about Kentucky's toughness.
Despite a hostile crowd and a whistle that saw three technical fouls called on Kentucky in a 39-second span, Mark Pope's squad refused to fold.
- Otega Oweh was a man possessed, dropping 24 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. He embraced the villain role, shushing the crowd and battling through the physicality.
- After falling behind in the second half, Kentucky stopped settling for jumpers and attacked the rim, earning 23 free throws in the final 14 minutes.
- An 85-77 victory that silenced the critics (and the crowd) and gave Mark Pope another signature road win, following the upset in Knoxville.
Women's team: The offensive explosion
If the men's game was a boxing match, the women's game on Sunday was a track meet, and Arkansas couldn't keep up in the second half.
Coming off a frustrating three-game losing streak, Kenny Brooks needed a spark. He got a bonfire. Kentucky dropped 93 points on the Razorbacks, shooting a scorching 92% from the field in the fourth quarter to turn a competitive game into a blowout.
- The Return: Teonni Key returned to the lineup after an elbow injury and made an immediate impact, posting a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Her presence in the paint changed everything for a team that struggled without her.
- The Star: Clara Strack was unstoppable. She poured in a career-high 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting and ripped down 15 rebounds. Arkansas simply had no answer for her size and touch.
- The Support: Amelia Hassett added 16 points and 7 boards, while Tonie Morgan orchestrated the offense with 14 points and 8 assists.
A weekend of dominance
The men proved they could win ugly. The women proved they could win pretty. But both teams proved the same thing: The Kentucky Wildcats are not afraid of a hostile environment.
Two games. Two wins. One very quiet ride home for the Razorbacks fans.