By Eli Dych
Louisville loses to the No. 4 North Carolina Tar Heels Wednesday night in a game that was much more competitive than what the final score shows.
The Cards came out of the gates slowly as the Tar Heels would open up the game with a quick 21-6 run. This run, and the rest of the first half, was driven by the Tar Heels’ ability to shoot the ball from range and high-energy, fast-paced basketball.
Offense was hard to come by for the Cards, being held to 2-10 shooting from three-point range in the first half and falling behind by as much as 20 before the half was over.
The score at the half was 29-46, UNC.
The second half was a different story. Louisville would open up the half with a 21-9 run that would bring the game back within five points with 12:30 to go. Good, consistent ball movement and a willingness to help on defense and rotate off the help gave the Cards the boost they needed to start to cast some doubt for UNC.
After this run, however, Lousiville would only score two points over the next four minutes, allowing UNC to pull ahead by 10 and ultimately keep the outcome out of reach. Louisville made a few mini-pushes, but it would all be too little, too late.
Louisville would lose 70-86.
Guard Skyy Clark had 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds. His shooting deep (4-5, or 80%) was a key energizer for the late push. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield continued his stretch of strong performances, scoring 15 points, grabbing six boards, and adding one blocked shot.
The issue that seemed to lead to the loss was rebounding. In the last bit of the game, Lousiville could not get a rebound when it mattered most, allowing UNC to get second and even third-chance points.
Regardless of the loss, the team showed a great will to fight from behind against one of the best teams in the country. It shows great promise for the rest of the season.
If Louisville can just find a way to start hot, we might be looking at more wins in the future.
Photo Courtesy // Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
