The Louisville Men’s Basketball team faced off against the University of Nebraska Omaha on Friday night in front of a crowd that was 18,000 strong. The Cards pushed through late challenge by the Durangos to win by a score of 87-78. The Cards led by 20 early in the second half, but Omaha pulled within 10 thanks to a 53 point second half.
Coach Padgett was not satisfied with the defense of his team, saying he saw too much ball watching and not enough defensive intensity. Louisville did have 15 blocks as a team, 8 of which belonged to Anas Mahmoud. They also out rebounded Omaha 53-41, but Louisville gave up 22 offensive rebounds and 17 second chance points.
The Cards were led by Deng Adel with 21 points and Ray Spalding with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Perhaps the biggest improvement for the Cards came from the free throw line. They shot 19-22 (86%) tonight, including 5-5 from the line from freshman Darius Perry.
Louisville returns to the KFC Yum! Center next Tuesday to take on Southern Illinois at 7:00 PM.
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