LEXINGTON, KY. ? Billy Gillispie’s second game as Kentucky’s coach was one he’d rather forget – and Gardner-Webb will remember for a long time.

Grayson Flittner scored 22 points to help Gardner-Webb beat the No. 20 Wildcats 84-68 Wednesday night in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic.

“You can’t just show up on the court and think you’re going to beat somebody because you wear a certain jersey,” said Gillispie, who turned 48 Wednesday. “We didn’t play like a hunter tonight.”

Instead, the Wildcats were the prey the entire game, falling behind 14-0 and never cutting the deficit under seven points.

“A lot of people will think this is a misprint, but I hope not,” Gardner-Webb coach Rick Scruggs said. “I hope they get to see it and can enjoy it. It’s going to take a few days to settle in.”

Kentucky, Division I’s winningest program, hadn’t lost a regular-season game to a mid-major since falling to Western Kentucky on Nov. 15, 2001, in that season’s opener. It lost to UAB in 2004 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky’s last home loss to an unranked nonconference foe was Dec. 3, 2005, against North Carolina.

“It’s embarrassing when you lose, especially when it happens at home,” Kentucky forward Perry Stevenson said. “We’ve just got to keep working hard and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Gardner-Webb, which finished 9-21 last season and tied for seventh in the Atlantic Sun Conference, will play the winner of tonight’s game between Buffalo and Connecticut.