By Harry Barsan

The Louisville Cardinals defeated the Spalding Golden Eagles Monday in their second and final exhibition game of the year.

In terms of D3 competition, Spalding is among the best you can get. They are ranked second in the SLIAC preseason poll, and just came off of a 12-6 conference record. Still, the Cardinals made quick work of the the intra-city opponent.

The game only remained close in the early stages. The Golden Eagles stayed within 11 points of the Cardinals by the ten minute mark before Louisville ended the first half on a 28-7 run.

The Cards used a 67.7% shooting effort from the field to take a 53-21 lead at the half.

The Cardinals never looked back, as they cruised to a comfortable victory, 99-54.

The good, the bad and the ugly

The game was in the Cards’ hands from the get-go in large part to their smothering defense. Their 21 steals paired with an efficient and fluid transitional offense led to a tremendous 45 points off turnovers. The Cards also posted 24 assists, marking only the third time in program history that Louisville has recorded 20-plus steals and assists in one game.

Fifth year forward Kasean Pryor led the scoring with 26 points, including a perfect 3-3 from three-point range. Koren Johnson matched him with a 20-point performance of his own, including a solid 7-8 from the free throw line.

Compared to their last game against Young Harris, the Louisville offense appeared more reserved and focused. They shot only 60 field goals compared to 78 tries, including a whopping 33 less tries from beyond the arc. With less volume came some greater accuracy, as their field goal percentage went up from 51.3% to 58.3%, emphasizing the need for focus in this team’s offense.

The team still had their fair share of woes. Free throws were an issue, as the team shot a mere 21-34 (61.8%) from the charity stripe. Additionally, their combined 21 fouls was greater than last week’s already worrisome 18, emphasizing the need early on for greater discipline on the defensive side of the Cards’ game.

Their 3-point accuracy dipped nearly eight percentage points as well, but altogether, this team is trending in the right direction.

Altogether, the Louisville faithful have much to look forward to this season. While the play in these exhibition games was far from perfect, the team showcased just how dangerous and volatile they can be on both sides of the ball. The men will tip off the regular season next Monday at 7 pm at the Yum! Center, looking to draw from this high note to end the preseason.

Photo Courtesy // Eli Dych, Louisville Athletics