Kentucky vs. Louisville Score: Video Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Grades

The Kentucky Wildcats are on their way to the 2012 NCAA championship game after taking down the Louisville Cardinals, 69-61.

This was a fun and hotly contested game. Louisville gave the Wildcats a run for their money, but in the end, Kentucky proved to be too athletic and talented for Louisville.

The Cardinals were fantastic on the boards and played good defense, but they didn't shoot nearly well enough and allowed too many easy buckets. 

Tweets of the Night

NPR's Steve Inskeep astutely pointed out how Louisville was able to keep this game interesting.

"

Kentucky: superior talent by far.Louisville: defense, offensive rebounds, everything that shows heart.

— Steve Inskeep (@NPRinskeep) March 31, 2012"

The fake Bill Walton tweeted out what is very likely an unverified fact, but highly possible.

"

Walton Fact of the Day: 20 gallons of hair gel were put in the Louisville & Kentucky locker rooms at halftime for the coaches to refuel.

— The Bill Walton Trip (@NotBillWalton) March 31, 2012"

Must-See Highlight of the Night

Kentucky gets all the hype for having amazing athletes and being monsters in the open court, but on this play, the Cardinals proved they have some open court moves themselves. 

Grades for Key Kentucky Players

Anthony Davis: A

It was just another typical outstanding game for Davis. Opposing big men are just unable to match his athleticism and fluidity. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: C-

Kidd-Gilchrist, who had been on a tear entering this game, picked up two quick fouls and sat out the majority of the first half. 

He never seemed to get in a rhythm this game. He scored two buckets in the final seconds to end the game with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. 

Doron Lamb: C+

Lamb played a solid game. He provided valuable scoring with nine points, but struggled with his outside shot—including missing both three-point attempts—and had four turnovers. 

Grades for Key Louisville Players

Peyton Siva: B

This was a tale of two halves for Siva. He appeared tight from the tipoff and looked lost for the first half. He began to warm up, though. He was huge as Louisville made their second half run.

He ended with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting and had three assists. 

Chris Smith: C-

In the face of some tremendous defense, Smith's shot was off. He still managed to drop some buckets. Louisville needed much more though. He had eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Gorgui Dieng: B-

Dieng did some nice things in this game. He was a monster on the boards and came down with 12 rebounds. 

However, he was just 3-of-10 from the field and did not offer enough resistance on Anthony Davis.

Stat of the Night: 6:20

That is the amount of crucial game time that Louisville went without scoring a basket from the field in the second half. The drought started at the 9:12 mark. 

Game MVP: Anthony Davis

Davis was amazing. He had 18 points and was a sterling 7-of-8 from the field. He also had 14 rebounds and five blocks. 

What's Next? 

Kentucky will take on the winner of the Kansas-Ohio State game for the championship on Monday at 8 p.m. ET. 

After a tremendous season by Rick Pitino and Co., Louisville now set their sights on next year.