LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky fans who couldn't make the trip to Nashville filled LexLive in Lexington Wednesday afternoon, trading work and school for burgers, beers, and plenty of blue as the Wildcats opened SEC Tournament play.
"We're here to watch the game, I won't say work or not work, I don't wanna get in trouble…but the wife did give me permission to come down here and root the cats on," Mark Morris joked.
Even some younger fans made their way to LexLive. When asked if the Cats were worth skipping school for, Astarah Bond had no hesitation.
"Yes," she said.
Asked whether her teacher needed to know, her answer was equally direct.
"Uh, no," she said.
Her mother, Tyanne, chimed in, "It's just so special enjoying our time together, watching the game, supporting big blue."
Fan Starla Bell said a season marked by struggles and injuries has not shaken her confidence in head coach Mark Pope.
"I'm so hopeful, I love Mark Pope, we believe in him and we want him to win…it's a tough season to watch them struggle so hard…but we have hope in Pope," Starla said.
After Kentucky's 87-82 win over LSU in round one, fans like Morris said the result meant a good night's sleep — something that doesn't always come easy for die-hard supporters.
"I don't sleep when they lose, I can't go to bed, everybody makes fun of me. I live and die and breathe the cats," Mark said.
With a win in hand, Mark is already setting his sights on what comes next.
"I see us making it till Friday, and then watch out for Florida here we come!"
