By Benjamin Lampkin
Luke Whitehead doesn’t play football, but he throws the long ball like a Heisman Trophy candidate. Leading by one with just 18 seconds remaining, the University of Louisville had just given up a three to Cincinnati’s Immanuel McElroy that cut their already slim lead and forced a Cards’ timeout. On the ensuing inbounds play, Whitehead tossed a perfect overhead pass to a wide-open Reece Gaines, who laid in the final basket of the game in the Cardinals thrilling 74-71 victory late Wednesday night.
“We called the long pass, and normally players are afraid to make a mistake,” said Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. “He wasn’t (afraid), he stepped up, and it was wonderful.”
The fourth ranked Bearcats, who own one of the nation’s best defenses, allowed the Cardinals to shoot 61.9% in the second half, but much of the credit belongs to U of L. They had great shot selection in attempting only 21 shots in the final 20 minutes, shot 81% from the free throw line, and made critical plays at critical times of the game.
In the first half, the Cardinals trailed by 11 with 4:35 left, and the patented Bearcats’ defense appeared to have the Louisville offense locked up as usual. However, sparked by an offensive rebound by Larry O’Bannon, Bryant Northern was fouled on his made lay-up, and the subsequent free throw cut the lead to eight. The Cards went on to outscore Cincy 9-2 over the final four minutes, and went into the half trailing only 38-34.
“Joseph (N’Sima) gave us a big lift with his defense at the beginning of the game, and we were very smart defending the three point line. Mick Cronin did a phenomenal job of scouting them,” said Pitino. “The whole team was great because they didn’t take bad shots, and they made so many great shots and really stayed with their confidence.”
The Cardinals took a 46-45 lead on Ellis Myles’ lay-in with just over five minutes gone in the second half. It was their first lead since the 14:26 mark of the first period, and they led by as many as seven after Gaines hit his only three on the night. The Bearcats would come back to tie it at 58 all, and the Cardinals continued to jump ahead by only two and three points at a time.
Whitehead, who statistically finished the night with only two points and four rebounds, was one of the keys to the late-game heroics. After the Bearcats stole the lead at 67-68 on Donald Little’s offensive rebound and dunk, Larry O’Bannon fed Whitehead inside, who pump-faked and got the lay-in with the 6’11” Little on his back.
After a missed jumper by Steve Logan, Whitehead stood on the high post while Myles appeared to set a screen for Gaines. Myles, however, quickly cut to the basket, and Whitehead found him for a wide-open dunk that sent the 19, 822 fans into a frenzy and forced a Cincy timeout.
Northern hit 1-2 free throws, after being fouled following a turnover by Logan, to give the Cards a four-point lead. But McElroy was able to get free from O’Bannon with a head fake, and he buried a three to cut the lead to one.
After a U of L timeout, Whitehead ran the baseline and spotted a wide open Reece Gaines, who saw exactly what Pitino expected.
“We’re a pressing team, so I know all the little tricks when we get pressed,” said Gaines. “Coach diagrammed the play and said this is how you get open, and I just did what he told me to do.”
