LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It may need taken over a month, however the Louisville males’s basketball program has lastly secured their first victory of the Kenny Payne period.
Internet hosting in-state foe Western Kentucky, the Cardinals had been capable of snap their prolonged shedding streak to start out the 2022-23 season in semi-dominating style, holding off the Hilltoppers lengthy sufficient to seize a 94-83 victory Wednesday night time on the KFC Yum! Middle.
The win snaps a nine-game shedding streak to start out the season, which had matched this system’s worst begin because the 1940-41 group misplaced their first 11 video games.
All night time lengthy, the Cardinals operated with a better degree of vitality, effort and execution that they hadn’t proven all season lengthy, and it confirmed up on the stat sheet.
Louisville shot 54.4 p.c from the sphere and a blazing 52.0 p.c on three-point makes an attempt, in comparison with 47.1 and 34.6 p.c, respectively, for Western Kentucky. The Cardinals had been additionally near-automatic on the free throw line, capturing 19-of-20 to WKU’s 8-of-11.
Whereas the Hilltoppers gained the rebounding battle 37-29 and out-scored their hosts 42-28 within the paint, the Cardinals made up for it by having single-handedly their greatest passing sport of the season. Louisville notched 17 assists to 13 turnovers for his or her first optimistic single-game help/turnover ratio all season.
The win was powered primarily by a profession night time from El Ellis, whose 30 factors on 10-of-19 capturing and 10 assists had been each profession highs. He had essentially the most factors from a Louisville participant with at the least 10 assists since Reece Gaines had 30 and 10 towards TCU on Mar. 6, 2002.
4 different Cardinals additionally completed in double figures. Kamari Lands had a career-high 15 factors, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield added 11, and each Sydney Curry and Jae’Lyn Withers notched 10 factors. Three Hilltoppers had double digit factors, led by Dayvion McKnight’s 25.
Early on, it regarded like the sport was trending in the direction of yet one more blowout loss. Western Kentucky set the tone early, taking a 15-7 lead by way of the primary seven minute, together with an 8-0 run that appeared to point the underside was about to fall out once more.
Nevertheless, Louisville did one thing that they haven’t been capable of do all season: reply after getting punched within the mouth. Powered primarily by Ellis, the Cardinals responded with a seven-minute stretch the place they out-scored the Hilltoppers 23-to-9.
WKU was capable of trim their deficit to as little as two factors with simply over two minutes till halftime, however Louisville used a fast 11-2 burst to take a 46-35 lead into the locker room.
The Cardinals carried that momentum into the second half, utilizing scorching capturing to go up by as a lot as 20 factors simply over six minutes into the second half.
Nevertheless, the Hilltoppers weren’t going to go away quietly. After connecting on solely three of their first 15 shot makes an attempt of the half, WKU’s capturing improved dramatically, connecting on 17 of their last 25 makes an attempt to make it a ten level sport with slightly below three minutes to go.
Happily for Louisville, like within the first half, they didn’t fold within the face of stress. Their capturing didn’t waiver down the stretch, they usually took full benefit on the free throw line, lacking solely one in all their 14 second half free throw makes an attempt – and hitting their last 10.
Subsequent up, Louisville will cap off their temporary two-game dwelling stand with a matchup towards Florida A&M. Tip-off towards the Rattlers is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
(Picture of Sydney Curry, Dayvion McKnight: Jamie Rhodes – USA TODAY Sports activities)
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