By Micah Brown —
Acting head coach David Padgett earned his first vicotry as a Division I coach as No. 16 men’s basketball opened the 2017-18 season with a 72-61 victory against the George Mason Patriots.
The win did not come easy for the Cards, as they trailed 27-24 at the half.
George Mason only had one starter taller then 6-foot-4, but Louisville couldn’t take advantage. The Cards out-rebounded 36-31 and gave up multiple looks in the paint.
Louisville’s 14 turnovers hampered the offense.
Junior forward Deng Adel led the team with 20 points, but it was the freshmen duo of Jordan Nwora and Darius Perry who helped seal victory for Louisville.
Nwora and Perry combined for 22 points and 6-for-6 from three.
George Mason showed no signs of letting down, as they continued to give the home team all they could handle.
Adel, proving he can be relied on late in games to produce points for the Cards, converted an acrobatic layup followed by a three-pointer on the ensuing possession as the Cards finally put away the opposition for good.
Now 1-0, Louisville hosts Omaha Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
You can follow Micah Brown on Twitter @micah_brown74
Photo by Laurel Slaughter / The Louisville Cardinal
