Thirty-one people were arrested after Kentucky fans set fires in Lexington, police said, after the Wildcats’ undefeated streak came to a stunning end at the hands of Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament Saturday.
Sporadic fires were seen being set as the large crowd, chanting anti-Wisconsin slogans, gathered on State Street, which is adjacent to the University of Kentucky's Lexington Campus.
Lexington Police Department spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said the crowd set fire to multiple objects, while a number of people were injured — some of whom were transported to a local hospital for treatment. None of the injuries were serious, Roberts said.
The situation was completely cleared by 2:15 a.m. ET, Roberts said. "This was a citywide effort to clear this situation ... it really requires the whole city to come together in situations like these," she said.
The disturbance came after the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 71-64 Saturday night in a thriller that came down to the final minutes. Wisconsin now advances to face Duke in the NCAA national championship game.
In the streets of Madison, a huge crowd of jubilant fans cheered and waved flags after the Badgers' win. When a man scaled a light pole, the crowd began chanting "USA! USA!" The police department said there were no significant problems during the celebration.
The Madison Police Department posted a photo of the huge public gathering and joked in a Tweet: "Unofficial crowd estimate: more than 12."
