Single Points and Eyelashes!
By Ed Templin
Each Kentucky-Notre Dame game since 1939 has been decided by five or fewer points, probably an all-time record for closeness of score in games matching  traditional basketball foes.
During the seven seasons, Notre Dame won five times, Kentucky claimed victory twice.
In addition, the Irish netters hold three other triumphs over the Wildcats by larger victory margins, rolled up in the years prior to 1939 when Kentucky was just beginning its fight for national basketball recognition.
The first game, played in 1936, saw the South Bend team victorious over Coach Adolph Rupp's cagers, 41-20. Notre Dame again won comfortable in 1937, by 41-28, and in 1938, by 47-37.
But thereafter the annual battles became storybook thrillers, packed with immeasurable action and excitement.
Coach Rupp's blue-clad teams lost by five points in 1939 and 1940 after putting up furious resistance, succumbed by but one point in 1941, and lost by only three points in 1942.
The first Kentucky victory in the series came in 1943. An inspired band of Wildcats trimmed the Irish, 60-55. Kentucky won again, but by an eyelash, in 1944. The score was 55-54.
One point decided, the issue again last season. Notre Dame won, 59-58, only after an overtime period.
That sets the stage for tonight's engagement.
Notre Dame, with one of the most powerful quintets in its history, and Kentucky, with its speediest cage team in years, enter tonight's game as ranking national basketball powers.
Both teams have been keyed for this one. The chips are down.
Let's see who's gonna pick 'em up!
1945-1946 Basketball Schedule
Date		Team	Place
Dec.	1	Fort Knox	Lexington
Dec.	7	Western Ontario	Lexington
Dec.	8	Western Ontario	Lexington
Dec.	15	Cincinnati	Lexington
Dec.	18	Arkansas	Lexington
Dec.	21	Oklahoma	Lexington
Dec.	29	St. John's	New York City
Jan.	1	Temple	Philadelphia, Pa.
Jan.	5	Ohio University	Lexington
Jan.	12	Michigan State	East Lansing, Mich.
Jan.	14	Xavier	Cincinnati, Ohio
Jan.	19	Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.
Jan.	21	Georgia Tech	Atlanta, Ga.
Jan.	26	Notre Dame	Louisville
Jan.	28	Georgia Tech	Lexington
Feb.	2	Michigan State	Lexington
Feb.	4	Vanderbilt	Nashville, Tenn.
Feb.	9	Vanderbilt	Paducah
Feb.	16	Tennessee	Lexington
Feb.	19	Ohio University	Athens, Ohio
Feb.	23	Xavier	Lexington
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