The Louisville basketball program suffered a one point loss at the hands of the Bellarmine Knights in Head Coach Kenny Payne’s inaugural game on the sidelines for the Cardinals. Jae’Lyn Withers and Mike James led the way for Louisville with 17 points and 16 points respectively.
James and Withers were the only consistent Cardinals who were able to penetrate the paint and create easy lay-ups for themselves. Ellis followed closely behind with 14 points. Twelve of his fourteen points came in the first half, while Mike James scored thirteen of his sixteen in the second half.
The two primary guards for the Cardinals complimented each other well throughout the whole game. Throughout the length of the first half, the five players on the floor for Louisville seemed lost on the defensive side of the ball. Bellarmine created space for their shooters with great ball movement and Louisville’s man-to-man defensive strategy was not working.
While Bellarmine was going on a run offensively, Louisville could not catch a break from the officials. The Knights (22) had nearly double the amount of free throws than the Cardinals (14). This was the theme throughout the game and because of the foul trouble Louisville was facing, their leading scorer Jae’Lyn Withers fouled out at a crucial point in the game.
In the second half, the Cardinals settled down defensively and used their sizable height difference to their advantage. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield used his 6-foot-10 frame to back down the Knights Juston Betz, who stands at just 6-foot-3. The seven inch difference was an advantage that Louisville could have exploited more frequently.
Louisville also forced nine turnovers after halftime to just two in the first half. The positives that can be taken away from this game ultimately outweigh the negatives but it is heartbreaking to open the regular season with a loss.
Some of the positive takeaways are:
- Jae’Lyn Withers looks like a sizeable mismatch for opposing teams and getting to the basket does not seem difficult for him. He also displayed a very capable jumpshot, even behind the three-point line.
- Mike James burst onto the scene for the Cardinals and carried the team in the second half. His field goal conversions were largely the reason Louisville was even in the game at the last minute.
- Roosevelt Wheeler proved he can grab offensive rebounds and throw it down in the paint.
- Hercy Miller played only a few minutes but he has potential and can help the Cardinals offense.
The final score was 67-66, but the fact that Louisville clawed their way back into the game showed great promise for the future of the basketball program. Putting the ball in the hands of Kamari Lands for the last shot of the game was a questionable call, but the way Kenny Payne turned it around from the first half to the second half is incredibly hopeful for the remainder of the year.