By Jordan Shim–

After squandering a big lead against Pittsburgh, the men’s basketball team is relieved to get the victory.

Louisville was efficient on offense, shooting 50 percent from the field, hitting 5-of-7 from three and going 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Coach Rick Pitino decided to play more physical man-to-man defense heading into this season, but U of L’s signature 2-3 zone gave Pitt low percentage shots that created a 21-point lead going into halftime.

“We played zone in the first half and camouflaged our weakness,” Pitino said. “We didn’t want to play man-to-man in this game. But some of the nuances when we changed to man, we would’ve dissected it, switched around and did a lot of good things, but this team has a difficult time picking up changes.”

In the second half, Pitt exploited their inability to defend man-to-man. They created space off the dribble and hit their outside shots to claw their way back into the game. Pitino and the team could only watch as Jamel Artis scored 32 of Pitt’s 54 second-half points, erasing a 26-point lead. Pitino’s anxiety was well observed as he gradually shed a piece of clothing each time Artis cut into the lead.

“Their guys made the adjustments,” Pitino said. “But our guys couldn’t mentally make them to guard them correctly. We kept backing up in transition. We gave them tough threes, but (Artis) was hitting them. He put on a Steph Curry performance.”

Pitino said the team is in rebuilding mode, but he wants them to rebuild in season. Despite the statement, Louisville sits at 14-3 with quality wins over Purdue, Kentucky and Indiana. Something that would allude to Pitino’s statement is adding Anas Mahmoud to the starting lineup the past four games.

Mahmoud may not be as physical as Mangok Mathiang, but he possesses a different skill set that benefits the team. Offensively, he can can run the floor, pass well and score in the post. Defensively, his shot-blocking ability adds another dimension to the team.

Mahmoud’s impact shows in the numbers. He averages 2.6 blocks per game, which is 16th best in the nation and second best in the ACC. His 5.27 blocks per 40 minutes ranks sixth in the country. Mahmoud’s ability to block or alter shots in the post makes it difficult for opposition to score. His defensive plus/minus rating of 12.8 is the best in the country, and his 14.5 overall plus/minus rating ranks third.

Unfortunately, Mahmoud, nor anyone on the team, could do anything about Artis’ performance.

“Sometimes when teams are down big, all they can do is shoot threes and hope they go in. We have to take the attempt away,” Mahmoud said.

Louisville will have to improve their consistency on defense quickly to beat seventh-ranked Duke Jan. 14. The Blue Devils boast four starters with a 120 offensive rating or better, making them one of the most efficient offenses in the country.

Photo by Isaac Sanchez / The Louisville Cardinal