Louisville’s offensive drought down the stretch told the story in an 83–62 loss to Tennessee, as the Cardinals went nearly three minutes without a field goal late and were unable to keep pace with the Volunteers’ efficiency on both ends.
Louisville shot just 38-percent from the floor and 21-percent from three (7 of 34). Meanwhile, Tennessee connected on 55-percent overall and nearly 39-percent from beyond the arc to pull away in the second half.
Ryan Conwell led Louisville with 22 points, knocking down four threes on 13 attempts, but help was inconsistent as the Cardinals struggled to generate clean looks. Adrian Wooley added 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting and went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line, while J’Vonne Hadley chipped in 9 points and 4 rebounds. Sananda Fru contributed five rebounds and a team-high three assists, but Louisville finished with just eight assists as a group and committed 16 turnovers that Tennessee turned into 21 points.
Tennessee seized control behind Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who poured in a game-high 23 points and was a perfect 10-of-10 at the line, pairing his scoring with five assists. The Volunteers owned the glass with a 35–30 rebounding edge and repeatedly punished Louisville mistakes in transition. A late dunk by Felix Okpara capped a decisive run as Tennessee stretched the lead to as many as 25. Louisville’s last field goal came with 1:02 remaining, underscoring a frustrating finish for the Cardinals.
Louisville takes on Montana Saturday in the Ville hoping to get back on track.
