Louisville 90, California 70.

Put your hands down, class, I know what your question is.

Has a Louisville team ever before been whistled for 16 fouls in a half?

Which U of L was in the opening twenty at venerable Haas Pavilion.

My definitive answer after checking the media guide is a definitive probably not.

On December 10, 1953, the Cards were flagged for 43 total in a 71-78 L at Siena.

OK, it is for sure. The laws of mathematics dictate they must have had more than that in one, probably both halves.

The Cards, despite being -12 at the line in the 1st, led by 14 at the break, 48-34.

Thanks to coming out scorching, draining their first five shots, three Sananda Fru deuces, and a pair of triples, one by Ryan Conwell, the other by Isaac McKneely.

Cal never pulled closer than 7, and the Cardinals never led by less than double digits after the 12:10 mark of the opening stanza.

 * * * * *

OK, here’s my question: WTF was Vangelis Zougris doing in the game just past midway through the 2d?

During his three minute stint, the Golden Bears went on a 9-0 thrust.

VZ was technically only -9 (the only negative +/- for a Cardinal). But technically he was really -14. But Pat Kelsey wisely benched him after he committed one of the stupidest deadball Ts I’ve ever witnessed. Which resulted in five more California tallies, two FTs and a trey.

The bracing 14 point run cut the margin to 73-62 with 6:27 left.

Then  U of L’s maturity reigned.

J’Vonne Hadley canned a layup.

Adrian Wooley scored a second chance deuce, then followed it with a triple.

The seven point skein steadied the situation.

U of L — playing shorthanded without Mikel Brown or Kasean Pryor — kept Cal’s measure the rest of the way.

 * * * * *

It was simply one of the oddest twenty point victories I can recall.

Midway through the 2d, the Cardinals led 68-43 and were teetering. Ryan Conwell had just been called for his fourth foul. Woeful marksmanship after intermission to that point. 7/19. 2/10. But the Bears, perhaps the most mediocre 12-1 squad in memory, were more inept. 5/19. 1/9. For the half, U of L was actually +4 at the line at that moment.

Soon thereafter came the Zougrisian Abominata.

 * * * * *

Steadiness and that much appreciated level headedness prevailed.

Louisville only committed 9 infractions in the 2d, one less than the home team.

For the tilt, the Cards were +19 off the glass, +20 in the paint.

Though Conwell led Louisville in scoring with 26, for my money, it was the Hadley glue and the Wooley bully — couldn’t help myself — that were most key.

JH had 11 with 9 boards and 3 assists. AW had 21, many were important answers and thrust stoppers.

Sanny Fru was also boffo. He fashioned his first double double with 13 and 14.

Kobe Rodgers was a steady, calming presence. As usual. Khani Rooths was strong in his 18 minutes. And McKneely remains way more an all around positive than most expected.

 * * * * *

Overcoming a cross country trip, significant foul trouble, the absence of two key ballers, in your conference opener on the road for a 20 point W is not to be sneezed at.

Next: a trip down to Silicon Valley for a date with Stanford Friday night in Palo Alto.

— c d kaplan