The Louisville Men’s Basketball team returned to action on Saturday to take on ACC foe North Carolina. The Tar Heels came into the game ranked 14th in the country and Louisville was looking to score a signature win. However, the Tar Heels did not want to cooperate and shot 44% from 3 to beat the Cards 93-76.
The Cards rebounding struggles continued as they got out rebounded by 12, including 17 offensive rebounds for UNC. These offensive rebounds led to 22 second chance points for North Carolina. Coach Padgett said after the game that their offense was not the problem, this was reflected in the fact that the Cards shot 45% from the field. Louisville also shot well from 3 as they ended up shooting 41%. Missed free throws were an issue, with Louisville only shooting 59% on 22 free throw attempts.
Louisville was led by Deng Adel, who returned from an injury that sidelined him for the past 2 games. Adel scored 20 on 12 shots and dished out 6 assists. Ray Spalding also had a good showing, putting up 18 points and 12 rebounds. Quentin Snider had a quiet 12 points, but only had 1 assist.
The Cards face an even tougher test on Wednesday. The Cards will take on No. 12 Duke at Cameron Indoor at 9 PM in 4 days. Coach Padgett said Duke is one of the most talented teams in the country, so the Cards will have another opportunity for a signature win as the NCAA tournament looms on the horizon.
Go Cards!
