Louisville basketball tips off with a victory in 2021

The anticipation was palpable inside the KFC Yum Center last night as fans awaited the tip of the Louisville basketball opening night against Southern University. This was a game that most fans expected the Cards to win, however the Jaguars did try to put up a slight tussle.

The Cards started the season without head coach Chris Mack, who is currently serving a six game suspension handed down by the University and the governing powers of the NCAA. This probably contributed to a first half dog fight against the SWAC affiliated opponent.

Florida transfer Noah Locke demonstrated why he will be a key piece for the team throughout the year. The Baltimore native poured in 16 points on 5-13 shooting as the Cards leading scorer for the evening. Louisville gave up a few timely buckets heading into the half. With under a minute to go, Southern University’s Brion Whitley had the hot hand when he hit a 3-pointer that shaved the Cards to just 33-31.

Louisville basketball takes control of the game late

At this juncture, Louisville fans may have been sweating like hot chops on a grill, but the team rallied together and found a way to not disappoint the home crowd on opening night. The rebounding edge in any game is key, especially when the contest is tight throughout. Louisville outrebounded Southern 54 to 40 for the game. Fans can thank Malik Williams and Samuell Williamson for cleaning the glass all night. Let’s call those two “The Windshield Wipers”! The second half saw Southern take the lead early, but once the Cards grabbed it back, they never relinquished it again.

Louisville’s bench contributions were key in this contest because they gave the Cardinals depth in the scoring column. Matt Cross dropped a cool 15 points off the bench, while Samuell Williamson splashed a double-double that included 14 points and 14 rebounds.

The Cards went on to beat Southern 72-60. The storyline for this game is about a mixture of guys coming together to eek out a tough win without their head coach. That alone takes leadership in any sort of team sport. The men’s next game is against Furman on Friday. This team has a history of playing close against Power 5 schools in recent years. The Cards better come out hooping!