It was disturbing and obvious at the start, that the Louisville Cardinals had not dusted themselves off from the butt kicking last time out in Durham.

At the first media timeout, the Cards trailed 4-14 to the stampeding Mustangs.

Four different visitors had already netted a wide open three.

Defense was lax.

Coming off the bench due to some missed practices, Mikel Brown was compounding his felonies of the last outing. Three turnovers in three minutes.

Something was amiss.

Louisville was out of sync. To say the least.

 * * * * *

That U of L trailed only 44-47 at the break was a testament to ???

The spirit force of ’86?

But, let’s give full faith and credit for still being in this game to, first, Kobe Rodgers. Who was +11 in single digit minutes. A seriously steadying force with five points, three assists and a calm hand on the tiller.

And the awaited return of Khani Rooths, after missing a spate of games with an unidentified illness. His six points and 3 rebounds at intermission really weren’t the tale.

It was his energy

 * * * * *

That U of L would eventually prevail, somewhat handily, and by double digits — 88-74 — certainly was not evident early on after intermission.

The Cardinals knotted the battle at 49 on a FT after that review of the Sananda Fru vs. Samet Yigitoglu Not So Royal Rumble during a U of L possession.

Thanks to tightened defense, the Cards had chances but let slip away five opportunities to take the advantage for the first time.

Then, finally the exasperation of the frigid afternoon melted.

Aly Khalifa found Isaac McKneely for a tying deuce.

Fittingly co-Player of Game Rodgers laid in a bunny. 55-53. Followed by his dime to McKneely for a triple. 58-53.

The 7-0 run took only a minute eight seconds.

However such was the nature of this scrum, the game was not yet won.

Louisville failed to convert on three opportunities for a two score margin.

That lead was relinquished. Twice as the combatants traded buckets midway through the 2d. 59-60. 61-62.

 

 * * * * *

Then this happened.

Ryan Conwell +1. Khalifa trey. Rooths both ends of a 1+1.

Cardinals ran off 8 in a row.

In forty six seconds. Your basic most enjoyable interlude.

69-62.

Much of the remainder was highlight reel stuff.

A couple deft Brown to McThreely bombs.

A forty foot MB feed to Rooths for a tip in.

A couple of possessions saved by the former Cavalier with tip out offensive rebounds.

A Rooths’ steal.

Finally, some fun at the Yum!.

 * * * * *

After giving it away five times in the 1st, Mikel Brown played error free in the 2d. Finished with 20 points, and calmer play.

Kobe Rodgers led U of L with +18 in only 12 minutes of PT.

Aly Khalifa was +14.

Isaac McKneely was +13. 14 points and those key possession saves.

J’Vonne Hadley was J’Vonne Hadley. +11. 10 points. 4 boards.

Which brings me to the Welcome Back Khani Rooths.

He be the other Player of Game.

He was a Bad Mo’ Fo’.

Double double. 12 and 10. +16.

 * * * * *

Thanks to their defense, and rediscovering how to deposit the orange in the basket, U of L swung the game by 26 points. From -12 to +14 at 00:00.

Louisville had 20 assists on 31 made FGs. Which is less than half the tale. In the second, they had 11 dimes on 14 made FGs.

Four turnovers only after intermission.

And the Cardinals’ bench showed up. 47 points to only 5 off the pine for the losers.

It was an afternoon when U of L needed to heal.

So they did.

— c d kaplan