The Louisville Cardinals improved to 2-0 with a 71-70 victory over Seton Hall on Friday at the KFC Yum! Center.
Carlik Jones led the Cards with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Quinn Slazinski added 10 points and 7 boards. Both Jae’lyn Withers and Dre Davis each finished with 11 points.
For Seton Hall, Sandro Mamukelashvili led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Pirates shot only 33 percent from the field.
🎥: Highlights from the Cards 71-70 victory over Seton Hall.#GoCards pic.twitter.com/R2ig58c5sG
— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) November 27, 2020
The game was tied at 38 at halftime before Louisville raced out to a 56-46 lead before the under-12 timeout. Seton Hall switched to a zone and went on a 19-6 run to take a three point lead with 3:08 on the clock. A JJ Traynor putback with 19 seconds remaining put Louisville up 69-68 and the Cards held on for their second win of the year.
It has only been two games, but this team looks much more cohesive than many would have predicted. The addition of Carlik Jones was so important for this inexperienced group. He was ranked as the best graduate transfer in the nation for a reason, and he’s been Louisville’s best player so far. Dre Davis has already impressed and looks like he will be a great role player for this team. Inside, the guys struggled against a big frontcourt and it looks like it is going to take some time before they get acclimated to playing without Malik Williams. You still saw flashes of potential today from all three of Withers, Igiehon, and Traynor.
Samuell Williamson was forced to exit the game in the second half after suffering a toe injury. So far, that is all we know.
Altogether, this was a tough game and Louisville responded to adversity when it looked like Seton Hall was going to pull ahead. This is the kind of test that this group needed to pass early in the season.
Up Next
Louisville is back on Sunday for a matchup with Prairie View A&M at 6:00 p.m.
