I’m at Freedom Hall tonight to get a look at Louisville before Sunday’s UK- U of L matchup:
- Williams misses drive to basket and Vegas pulls the upset, 56-55. Louisville ends up shooting 29.6 percent.
- Louisville turns it over and Bellfield scores off glass to give Vegas a 56-55 lead with 14.2 seconds remaining.
- UNLV’s Willis makes just one of two free throws, cutting U of L lead to 55-54. Cards call time with 56.8 ticks left.
- Louisville up 55-53 with 1:38 remaining.
- UNLV is back in front 51-50 with 3:15 left after Louisville had taken a 48-47 lead and then a 50-48 lead. Preston Knowles has helped the Cards get back in it, scoring 11 points on night. Vegas’ Tre’Von Willis stuck the three to give the Rebels back the lead.
- Louisville is finally making its run and has cut the UNLV lead to 43-38 with 7:28 remaining. That’s the closest the Cards have been since it was 3-0. Terrence Williams (2-of-12), Earl Clark (4-of-10) and Samardo Samuels (1-of-5) are a combined 7-of-27 from the floor.
- Vegas leads 40-32 with 11:36 left. Cards got it down to 38-32 after five straight points by Clark County’s own Preston Knowles. But Knowles has missed three shots since then. And the Cards are shooting 23.8 percent for the night. The clock is ticking.
- We’ve played just over four minutes in the second half and Vegas lead is still 11, now 38-27. Earl Clark is 3-of-9 from the floor for the Cards. Louisville is shooting 24.2 percent for the night. Rick Pitino’s team is going to have make a run, and soon, if they are going to avoid the upset going into Sunday’s game with Kentucky.
- All in all, a pretty putrid half by the Cards, who played as if they were more concerned about their post-game plans and New Year’s Eve parties. Keep this up, and my guess is that the party will be on the practice floor under Pitino’s critical eye and jagged voice. Not the way you’d want to ring in the New Year.
- Vegas shot an even 50 percent the first half. Louisville shot a frigid 23.1 percent. The Cards were 6-of-26 from the floor. Earl Clark led the home team with six points. Vegas’ Rene Rogeau led all scorers with 12. Louisville committed seven turnovers to UNLV’s six.
- Halftime: UNLV 32, Louisville 21.
- Rebels up 27-17 with 3:48 left in half. Cards have made a bit of run, and are now up to 23.8 percent from the floor. Vegas has made 61.1 percent of its shots. Remember, UNLV is doing this without its leading scorer, Wink Adams, out with an abodominal strain.
- UNLV leads 22-10 with 6:47 left in first half. Louisville’s first field goal came with 11:31 left when an Edgar Sosa shot was goal-tended. The Cards first actual field goal, that went through the hoop, was a three by Preston Knowles at the 7:26 mark. The Cards are 2-of-17 from the floor.
- It’s 14-3 14-4 UNLV with 11:55 left in first half. The Cards are 0-of-11 from the floor. Terrence Williams has missed all five of his shots. All three four Louisville points have come at the foul line.
- Vegas leads 10-1 at the 15:42 TV time. The Rebels jumped to a 10-0 lead. Pitino called time at the 18:22 mark when it was 6-0 UNLV. Then when Samardo Samuels hit the second of two free throws, finally putting the home team on the board, there were mock cheers at Freedom Hall.
- Louisville’s starters: Preston Knowles, Jerry Smith, Samardo Samuels, Earl Clark and Terrence Williams.
- If you missed it, Minnesota lost its first game of the season this afternoon. Tubby Smith’s team was beaten by visiting Michigan State 70-58.
- Looks like Earl Clark is back in the starting lineup tonight.
- UNLV’s leading scorer, Wink Adams, is questionable for tonight’s game with an abdominal strain.
