Yeah, Texas Western.

If for some reason you don’t know the reference, there’s therapy for that.

Ask you grandpa.

And, while not the ’66 national champion Miners, this rebranded  school did come into the game leading the land in steals per game and forced turnovers per game.

When U of L coughed it up five times way early on, it took me back to Cole Fieldhouse  in ’66, watching in person Bobby Joe Hill pick Little Louie Dampier’s pocket repeatedly at mid court.

At any rate, in this one, an inelegantly contested basketball game we must admit, it was the Miners who gave it away more on the night than the Cards, who steadied (at least somewhat). 15 giveaways for the visitors, only 11 for Louisville, which ended up +3 points off of stat.

U of L escaped by the hair on their chinny chin chins.

77-74.

 * * * * *

The game had been disturbingly back and forth when Pat Kelsey called a timeout with 8:37 left, the good guys up 57-55. The problem was the pesky bunch from Marty Robbins land answered every time Uof L busted a move to gain some measure.

Lots of lead changes.

Coming out of the stoppage, the Cardinals went small ball. Hadley, Hepburn, Smith, Rooths, and Edwards on the hardwood, the tallest three available on the pine.

Fifty nine seconds later, the Cards were up 63-55. Thanks to a couple Terrance Edwards FTs, and a couple Khani Rooths slams. Which capped a 9-0 Louisville run over 1:48.

And gave the Cards enough breathing room to play from ahead down the stretch. UTEP never pulled even again.

Though the losers pulled within a penny several times.

 * * * * *

So, how did the undermanned Cardinals prevail?

My go to adage in such gut wrenching affairs: Make your free throws, win the game.

Especially when the foe perpetrates 14 more personals.

The Cards were 25/34 (74%) at the stripe vs. 7/11.

That’s 18 points mo’ better.

Reyne Smith’s pair at :06 provided the final three point edge.

 * * * * *

Two game balls.

First to Terrence Edwards, who is starting to show the U of L faithful why he was one of the most coveted ballers in the portal.

He took over the game after intermission. 16 in the 2d gave him a team high 22 for the night. 8/10 at the line.

During the key back and forth stretch in the 2d, he was The Man.

Second to James Scott, who gave the Cards his best performance in Red & Black.

Dub/ Dub: 11 and 11.

OK, silly me, a third game ball to J’Vonne Hadley. Whose game is so solid, but so unspectacular one is inclined not to notice.

“You lookin’ at me? Hey, you lookin’ at me?”

13 points, 12 rebounds.

Chucky Hepburn already has enough game balls.

He’s a given.

Because if he ain’t here, everybody knows this is nowhere.

Seven assists and five boards to go along with his dozen tallies.

 * * * * *

Louisville prevailed even though they only netted six of 34 attempted bombs. 18%.

Louisville prevailed even though they played an uninspired opening twenty.

Louisville prevailed because of their second most important sequence of the night, reeling UTEP back in after a 7:23 FG drought helped the visitors push to a 43-36 lead early in the 2d. Edwards was also The Guy, with a deuce and a trey after a Hadley two. Which 7-0 skein knotted it at 43.

Louisville won — somehow — because they didn’t blink.

 * * * * *

The game featured not one but two wedgies. Which I can’t remember seeing before.

I had a lot more shtick about Texas Western prepared. But it’s late after the game — at least on my body clock — and I want to get this posted.

But I gotta ask: Why would a school with a cool name and a natty change it to something so generic?

I do find it interesting — coincidental obviously — that U of L’s next foe is the school Texas Western beat for that ’66 crown in the sport’s most heralded game.

Wouldn’t it be swell if the Cards could somehow pull off a sweep?

— c d kaplan