The No. 22 University of Louisville men’s basketball team opened its season with a 96-66 victory over the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, at the Hall of Fame Showcase in St. Louis, Mo.
The Cardinals trailed 20-19 midway through the first half, but went on a 28-12 run to take a 48-31 halftime lead, after hitting 9-of-18 3-pointers in the period.
Senior guard Reginald Delk had a career high in points by halftime, with 13, including 3-of-3 from the 3-point range. Delk also added 4 rebounds in the first half.
Pressure defense also helped the Cards secure a lead at halftime, forcing 8 Arkansas turnovers and allowing only 4 assists, while also winning the battle of the boards, with 20 rebounds to the Razorbacks’ 14.
Arkansas fought back to begin the second half, with 14 unanswered points, as the Cardinals didn’t score until almost five minutes into the half, when Delk converted a layup, to bring the lead to 50-45. Delk stole the ball on the following Razorback possession, and hit a 3-point jumper that began a 15-3 Cardinal run, during which the Razorbacks turned the ball over three times.
The Cardinals controlled the game the remainder of the time, leading by as many as 32 points. Delk finished with a game high of 20 points, while sophomore forward Jared Swopshire, sophomore forward Samardo Samuels, junior guard Preston Knowles, senior guard Jerry Smith and senior guard Edgar Sosa all contributed double digit points.
“We’re a great shooting team,” said Rick Pitino, U of L men’s head coach, “And there were really only two bad shots we took tonight.”
Swopshire led the Cardinals in rebounds, with 11, helping the Cards out-rebound the Razorbacks, 47-36, for the game.
“A lot of my friends and family were here tonight,” said Swopshire. “And it definitely felt good to get a win in front of them.”
The Cards will return home to Freedom Hall to face East Tennessee State University on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m.
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