Heartwarming gesture from Mark Pope and the Wildcats for Kentucky fans after triumph over Louisville

It was a high moment for Mark Pope and the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night, beating the Louisville Cardinals 93-85 at home in the Rupp Arena. This prompted Pope and the team to display a heartwarming gesture to the fan crowd.

After the win, Pope shook hands with every member of the Cardinals' squad, including the coaching staff and the managers.

Pope went even further. Besides the traditional handshakes with the opposing team, he even had his players go back out to the court to celebrate the victory with the fans.

Pope explained his decision to have the team celebrate with fans in this manner following the game, saying it was to let the Kentucky crowd know how grateful they were for the support.

"Our guys [are] so grateful for these fans coming to these games. ...to feel BEN'S energy is what you dream of as a coach, as a player," Pope said.

Mark Pope avenged loss to Louisville as a player back in 1995

Beating the Louisville Cardinals was personal for Mark Pope, especially considering that he was a player for the Kentucky Wildcats from 1994 to 1996.

Pope faced the Cardinals twice throughout his Kentucky stint, with the first matchup bringing back tough memories for the now-head coach.

“You guys know I have a terrible memory. I actually was with Lee Anne yesterday, and it was last night as we’re sitting there trying to figure, you know? So I looked up the two games that I actually played in, and the game my junior year, we lost by two at Louisville. And when I saw it, I was like, wait, what?” Pope said.

The game in question happened on the first day of 1995, where Louisville prevailed by an 88-86 score over Kentucky. Mark Pope flirted with a double-double as he finished with nine points and 10 rebounds on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, but it wasn't enough to change the result the Wildcats sustained.

“And then I remember, I promise you, I remember now it was like, locked away. The bus ride home from Louisville, I was in a full-on, like, teary-eyed sweat last night. I had blocked it out of my memory and all of a sudden, it all came rushing back. I mean, I’m starting to sweat right now. You get locked in the bus with Coach [Pitino] for an hour and a half after a two-point loss against Louisville? Holy. I wouldn’t wish that on any of you actually. I bet only half of you guys would come out alive, I kid you not," he concluded.

Kentucky won the next matchup in Pope's last season as a collegiate player, but it would now be safe to say that he won't have to worry about losing to Louisville in brutal fashion anymore.

Following the win against the Cardinals, Mark Pope and No. 5 Kentucky will now prepare for their next matchup against Ohio State at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21 at 5:30 p.m. ET.