Louisville basketball fell to Duke last night, 84-73, marking the Cardinals' fourth loss of the season and their second in conference play. The Cardinals were up as much as 12 and were looking like they had a clear chance of winning the game. Louisville couldn’t miss and was getting wide-open looks, giving them a nine-point lead at the half.
However, all that changed immediatley at the start of the second half. Duke went on a 16-6 run in the first six and a half minutes of the second half and took their first lead at the 13:36 mark. Louisville’s defensive struggles continued as the Cardinals put Duke in the bonus at that 13:36 mark, once again being a massive area of concern for this team.
Louisville went on to lose the second half 46-26, and Duke shot 28 free throws compared to the Cards' 12. After the game, Aly Khalifa addressed the Cardinals' defense, delivering a fiery, blunt message.
Related: 5 immediate takeaways from Louisville's disappointing loss to the Duke Blue Devils
Aly Khalifa calls out what Louisville basketball must fix moving forward
The ACC has taken a huge step forward this season, and the Cardinals are quickly noticing that. Louisville fell to Stanford on the road and just lost to Duke, leaving the Cards with the same number of conference losses in the first three games as they had last season.
With Louisville eyeing a Final Four run, the Cardinals will have to fix their foul trouble and defense. Louisville’s defense allowed Duke to shoot over 70 percent from the field in the second half, as the Blue Devils were able to do anything they wanted. When asked about the Cardinals' defense, Kahlifa kept it real and gave a blunt response.
“We just gotta take it personal,” Khalifa stated after Louisville’s loss. “Defense is everything man, that’s what’s going to take us far. All of us, every single of one us, has to take it personal. We just have to be better.”
Aly Khalifa keeps it real after Louisville’s loss to Duke, speaking on the Cardinals’ defensive mindset:
— 35KYSports (@35KYSportsMedia) January 7, 2026
“We just gotta take it personal, defense is everything man, that’s what’s going to take us far, all of us, every single of one us, has to take it personal.”
Via Go Cards pic.twitter.com/fPTNaBOflc
The lack of adjustments, along with the size and length of the Blue Devils, led to a massive second-half collapse for Louisville. Cam Boozer ended the night with 27 points on 84 percent shooting, while Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster combined for 43 points as well.
The Cardinals' ugly second half and Khalifa’s blunt message hopefully light a fire under this team, getting them ready not only for their game against Boston College but for the rest of the season. Kelsey stated in the press conference that he believes this loss will define the rest of the season.
This team has to make in-game adjustments and find ways to defend without fouling. If Louisville wants to make a Final Four run, one Mikel Brown Jr. has to be healthy, and two, their defense must step up, as Khalifa stated.