By Glypie Grider
No one thought they’d survive Georgia Tech, but the Cards now join Illinios, UNC and Michigan State as one of the finest basketball programs in the nation.
It came down to the wire Saturday night against West Virginia in the Elite Eight round, but the Cards overcame a 20 point deficit and squeezed past the Mountaineers 93-85 in overtime. U of L head coach Rick Pitino called it the “greatest comeback ever” and told his players in the locker room, “You are now part of a legend.”
At half time, Pitino reportedly told his players: “There is greatness in all of you, and we need it from every one of you, even if you are only on the court for a minute.”
And every Cardinal starter made significant contributions Saturday night in Albuquerque.
Senior Larry O’Bannon, scoreless in the first half, finished with 24 points and was named MVP of the regional. He joins Darrell Griffith and Pervis Ellison as one of the only U of L players ever to earn that honor.
Junior Francisco Garcia, arguably Louisville’s best player, fouled out of the game with about four minutes left in regulation and watched as Louisville slowly climbed out of the hole and forged their way to victory. Despite sitting out all five overtime minutes, Garcia kept the Cards in contention early with 13 points and eight assists.
Junior Taquan Dean, who has been sidelined with bouts of mononucleosis throughout the season, nailed seven 3-pointers and scored 23 total points. He was visibly wincing in the late stages of the game, and although he missed an off-balance 12-footer at the end of regulation that would have given the Cards the victory, Dean played an instrumental role for Louisville, especially after Garcia fouled out.
“I thought I could make it but my legs locked up,” Dean said on his last-second effort at the end of regulation. “I just threw it up. Thinking about it, I should have passed it to [Juan] Palacios.”
Palacios, a freshman, had some shaky moments, especially when he threw the ball behind Dean on a fast break at a crucial moment during the game, banked in 13 points and pulled down six rebounds.
Senior Ellis Myles rounded out the Cardinal starting lineup, and although he was sidelined by a twisted ankle for a stretch of the second half, he dominated the defensive lane with a major blocked shot and several big rebounds late in the game.
Even senior Otis George’s 100 percent field goal percentage and 8 points factored into Louisville’s thrilling comeback victory.
And while many Cardinal fans were biting their nails early in the first half as the Mountaineers drained 3-pointers left and right (10-of-14 in the first half), their fears were allayed as U of L slowly diminished the double-digit deficit.
“The only thing that surprised me was that it took so long to come back,” Dean said. “That shows how well they were playing. We were playing great, and [West Virginia] never folded. We had to take it from them.”
Louisville is now basking in the limelight of Saturday’s 8-point overtime victory, and rightfully so. They’ve earned their first NCAA appearance in 19 years, won their 13th consecutive game, and increased their win total to 33 this season.
“It’s a real tribute to the team, coaches and fans,” University of Louisville President James Ramsey said from The Pit/University Arena in Albuquerque following U of L’s 93-79 victory over Washington in the Sweet Sixteen. “It’s really positive for the university, the community and the state.”
“They’re a very good team. The team’s done a great job and Coach has done a great job,” added U of L Athletic Director Tom Jurich.
Louisville is slated to take on the Illinois Illini at 6:07 p.m. in St. Louis on Saturday. Top-seeded Illinois edged past Arizona 90-89 for their NCAA Final Four berth.
