LEXINGTON, Ky. | It started with around five minutes on the clock. By the time Miles Kelly put the final dagger into Kentucky's soul at the 2:04 mark, the mass exodus of Big Blue Nation was filing out of Rupp Arena, not wanting to see any more of what No. 1 Auburn was doing to their beloved Wildcats.

Nor did they want to hear any more "Let's Go Auburn" chants.

As a Kentucky native and a son and sibling of Kentucky alums, I have been to more games in this hallowed arena than I can count or remember. It was what my family did when I was growing up.

At the beginning of the game, it was classic Rupp at its best. The fans had brought it, filling every seat and being as loud as I remembered from big-game atmospheres in the arena. No one entered this place before 21,000-plus people and shut these fans up, certainly not Auburn, who famously had a record of 2-31 coming into Saturday, not winning in Lexington since 1988.

But that's what happened. Before the fans could even settle in, Miles Kelly drilled a three from the corner to draw first blood. Two layups by Kentucky gave them the lead at 4-3, but that's when Bruce Pearl's squad said enough. By the 14:20 mark, the Tigers had stretched the lead to 13 and, more importantly, quieted the partisan crowd. A 10-2 run before halftime had the fans not dressed in orange and navy wandering around the concourse, wondering what happened as Auburn held a 15-point lead.

This was Rupp, however, and this was where Auburn's dreams went to die. Not this time. Not with this team. Every instance when it seemed the crowd was ready to get back into it, the Tigers had an answer, and it came from all different directions. Chris Moore (yes, that Chris Moore) nailed a three from the corner before putting back a miss to score five straight for the Tigers. In what can only be described as being on uber fire, Kelly kept the noise down. Well, except for the thousand-plus Auburn fans in attendance.

Tahaad Pettiford, forced to play the entire second half due to an injury to Denver Jones, drove his way to the basket, scoring at the rim like a wily veteran despite his freshman status.

In the end, it was Auburn 94, Kentucky 78, a 16-point victory that never even seemed that close. When the final buzzer blew, the arena was eerily empty other than those in orange. The Tigers shook hands with the Wildcats and then celebrated yet another SEC title under Bruce Pearl's watch. It was complete domination in a place that rarely happens.

It was also a scene to behold as someone who grew up going to Rupp Arena and constantly seeing Kentucky come away with a victory. It wasn't a statement. Those have already been delivered throughout the season.

As the usual "It's Great To Be An Auburn Tiger" chant broke out in the final minutes, a national journalist leaned over to me and said, "Doing that chant in Coleman Coliseum and then Rupp Arena means it has been a great year."

Auburn had run Kentucky out of its own building. What a world.