Louisville faced a scrappy NC State team on a frigid Thursday night at the KFC Yum! Center, its first match up of the season where both teams were ranked. It didn’t come easy, but the Cards got it done in crunch time.
It started out like most Cardinal fans would have hoped: a steal, a slam, and a 10 point lead for UL in just a few short minutes of action. But that 10 point margin quickly became 5, and then the Wolfpack took a 25-24 lead on one of many Braxton Beverly 3-pointers. Louisville basketball, like it or not, was in for a fight, and it was back and forth from there.
Simply put, this was a game of runs. NC State got hot mid-way through the first half and ended up shooting over 42% from 3 for the game. To make matters even more precarious for Louisville and us fans, State was 14-1 on the year when shooting at that clip.
Which brings me to the most important thing we learned tonight: these Cards can win ugly. Yeah, we all wish every game could be well executed offense, solid defense and made baskets on good shots. But that just isn’t realistic. Some games, especially against tougher opponents, aren’t going to be pretty.
When two ranked teams face off, often it comes down to who limits their mistakes. Obviously execution and toughness (especially down the stretch) come into play, but good teams are good at creating problems for their opponents. In this case, Louisville made fewer mistakes than NC State, and were also able to capitalize on the Wolfpack’s miscues and take advantage of their opportunities.
Jordan Nwora had scored 57 points over the last two games, but this contest he was never really able to get going. Even so, the Cards had 5 double figure scorers in this one and were able to gut out a win in the best conference in college hoops.
MVP: Christen Cunningham. This one is really no question – the guy makes this team go. NC State had taken the lead and Louisville had gone cold on the offensive end with CC on the bench. As soon as he came back in, his impact was immediate. He drove the lane and converted layup after layup, putting the team on his back. CC got us right back in it, and the rest of the team followed his lead.
LVP: Darius Perry. It seems like Perry can’t get out of his own head the last few weeks, and it’s hard to watch. Especially when he gets to the rim, more than once, and fails to convert the layup. Whether it’s because he’s out of control, or just trying to do too much – he just hasn’t got anything going right now. Hopefully that changes soon.
X-Factor: Malik Williams. This guy has been playing like a man possessed, especially over the last 3 games or so. He’s not only scoring in double figures, he’s playing excellent defense, and starting to become a legitimate threat from almost every spot on the floor. If Malik can keep up this type of consistency, especially with his 3-point shooting, the Cards will be a very tough team to knock off come tournament time. Oh, and he hit clutch free throws to seal the win. Impressed with the kid.