LOUISVILLE | There was a foreboding feeling on Sunday afternoon when the Indiana All-Stars walked into the Louisville Gardens for the final game of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series.

Chesterton's Zack Novak was told something he hadn't heard before. It dealt with the basketball facility that was built in 1905 and had hosted both an Elvis concert and a fight with Muhammad Ali.

"They said don't put out bags on the floor," Novak said. "There were mice all over the place."

"It had a pretty ripe smell, to say the least," said West Side coach John Boyd, who was an Indiana All-Star assistant coach.

The old hoops box was cool when the All-Stars walked into the gym. But as they warmed up, the heat had ballooned and it was just the start of things to come.

Kentucky snapped an eight-game losing streak to Indiana with a resounding 95-78 win. Indiana still leads the series 80-42 despite the split this year.

Kentucky's athleticism was far superior to Indiana's. The players from the Bluegrass state were able to score 23 points off turnovers and 12 second-chance points. Only three Indiana players scored in double figures: IUPUI-bound Larry Stone (24), North Carolina-bound Tyler Zeller (16) and Michigan-bound Novak, who had 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

"We've heard this is one of the best teams they've ever had, and we split with them," said Novak, who was also proud that his team went 3-1 during the week, which included the Junior All-Star games.

"They hit shots and we didn't, it was as simple as that," he continued.

Besides the mice, Kentucky had another big advantage which can be expected in a home game -- the charity stripe. The Hoosiers were 6-of-13 from the foul line, and Kentucky was 26-of-35.

"Hey, that's part of the game and you have to deal with it," Boyd said. "But it makes it tough. There's no question about that."

Kentucky had five players in double digits led by Tyker Brown's 19. The Morehead State-bound guard scored 16 of his points in the first half, when Kentucky jumped out to 51-38 lead.

Novak played the first 10:19 of the second half and the Hoosiers kept the deficit at about 10 but could never get closer than nine. Kentucky's largest lead was 15. Indiana only led in the first few minutes of the game.

Despite the loss, both Novak and Boyd enjoyed the experience and the relationships they built. They said that's what they'll remember 10 years down the road, along with the Bluegrass mice.

"I'll remember the friendships I made with these guys," said Novak, who will report to Ann Arbor on Saturday. "It was a good week, a busy week, but a lot of fun."

Boyd said he plans on putting his Indiana All-Star coaching polo in a frame and take it to "The Big House."

"Well, I'll do that as soon as I get a big house," Boyd laughed. "I love the relationship I made with the kids I've coached and the other coaches around the state."