By Benjamin Lampkin
It was one player, and one slippery floor, that brought an end to the 2001-02 season for the University of Louisville men’s basketball team. After leading by 16 at the half, the Cardinals allowed Temple, led by senior guard Lynn Greer, back into the game. Greer’s hot shooting, along with a floor that was as slick as the ice underneath, sent the Cards out of the NIT with a 65-62 2nd round loss.
“It was a terrific season that came to an end, and we’re sorry that our season came to an end,” said head coach Rick Pitino. “This was one of the best seasons I’ve had as a coach.”
The Cards had no intentions of making this the final game of the year. U of L, who set the tempo from the opening tip, controlled the first half.
Carlos Hurt, starting for the first time in nearly two months, made crisp passes both inside the paint and around the perimeter. Early on, Hurt whipped a pass to Larry O’Bannon, who then fed Ellis Myles inside for a lay-up and a foul.
The score remained close for the opening 10 minutes before the Cards began applying severe pressure in the backcourt. With Greer bringing the ball upcourt and Reece Gaines hounding him, Greer’s pass forward was stolen by Erik Brown, who tossed it to Gaines for the open throw-down.
Starting with Gaines’ dunk, the Cards went on a 24-9 run to close out the half. At one point, U of L hit three’s on four consecutive possessions, opening up a 29-20 lead. The Cards then got six straight points from Luke Whitehead, four coming on back-to-back dunks that were nearly identical as Hurt threaded passes to an open Whitehead.
The 38-22 halftime lead may have made both the team and the fans complacent, as Temple started the second half on fire. After five minutes, the lead had dwindled to 8. The Owls started the half 6 for 8 from the floor, and the they would only get better.
“Basketball’s a game of two halves, and you gotta stay aggressive on offense and that’s what we were,” said Pitino. “But I felt it was our defense, not our offense (that was a problem.)”
Greer, who was held to seven points in the first half, single handedly brought Temple within one at 46-45 with 10:58 to go. At one point he scored 9 straight points, coming on a variety of pull-up jumpers and deep shots. A three by Hurt gave the Cards a four-point cushion, but Greer would again steal the show.
With Louisville leading 57-52 with six minutes remaining, Greer decided to take the game over. He buried a three to cut the deficit to two, then got inside for a lay-up to tie the score at 57. With just under four minutes remaining, Greer buried a jumper with the 6-6 Gaines in his face to give the Owls their first lead since the 12:23 mark of the opening half.
Just after a timeout, and with seconds to go on the shot clock, Greer caught the inbounds pass, stepped back, and floated a shot over the outstretched arm of Gaines. Miraculously, the ball swished just as Greer was hitting the floor, and Temple held a four point lead, 57-61, with 3:25 remaining.
“He hit shots with hands in his face,” said Gaines regarding Greer. “He’s a great player, and they showed their maturity down the stretch.”
More than two and half minutes would pass before another basket would fall, a three by Gaines that brought the Cards within one, 60-61. That three was the first points by the Cards since the 7:17 mark. The Cards ineptitude on offense was partly to blame, according to Pitino, on their defense.
“Our offense was stagnant because our defense was hurting us,” said Pitino. “But I feel the reason we lost was because we didn’t block out (on rebounds).”
The problem with blocking out crept up in the waning moments of the game, along with another, more obvious problem that caused both injuries and turmoil.
With Freedom Hall being prepared for an ice skating show, ice had been laid underneath the playing surface. However, with the high humidity caused by the daylong rainfall, condensation began building on the floor. Several players slipped, and at one point the referees called both coaches over to discuss the floor. It was decided by the refs and coaches that any slip that was apparently due to the moisture on the floor would not result in a loss of possession. That would come into play, but first some more dramatics.
Trailing by one, the Cards forced a turnover and came upcourt looking for, guess who, Reece Gaines. A switch at the top of the key put the 6-10, 260-lb. Kevin Lyde on Gaines. Wasting no time, he drove inside, pump faked to get Lyde in the air, and let the soft lay-up drop in.
On the ensuing possession, Temple’s David Hawkins penetrated and crashed into Myles, drawing a foul and hitting the shot. The Owls held a 62-63 lead, and Hawkins went to the line. His free throw attempt missed, but a Temple player (our view was obscured by the Temple mascot) secured the loose ball. However, as he dribbled near the bench, he slipped, fell down, and part of his body was out of bounds.
As the fans screamed for an explanation, Temple was given possession. As had been decided earlier, the slick floor did not take possession away from the Owls. In retaliation a few fans threw objects onto the floor and Pitino addressed them over the P.A. system twice telling them that it was not the referees fault.
“I’d like to get that call on the road too, but it was fair,” said Pitino. “Our fans, this is the best I’ve seen them. You can’t find 19,000 fans in the NIT.”
Stilling clinging to a lead, Greer was injured as he crossed the floor, slipped, and turned his ankle. Not wanting to injure him further, he was only used on offensive possessions. He came back in, and was fouled by Whitehead on the baseline. An 87% free throw shooter, he buried both to give the Owls a 65-62 lead.
The Cards had opportunities to tie it down the stretch, but missed several deep three-point attempts, including one as the buzzer sounded that would have tied the score.
Greer led all scorers with 27 points, 20 coming in the second half on 7-9 shooting. Gaines led U of L with 16 points, but was limited to only 10 first half minutes due to foul trouble.
Louisville finished their first season under Pitino with a 19-13 record while Temple moved to 17-14. The game was one which was evenly officiated and evenly contested by two teams that refused to quit even though they were playing in the NIT instead of the NCAA Tournament.
The close victory was a testament to both the players and coaches of both squads. So, it was distressing to see one of the Temple cheerleaders turning to the crowd with his hands at his throat indicating that the Cardinals had choked as the Owls took the lead, when in truth, the game merely slipped through their fingers.
