LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — When you play Duke on Sunday and then at Kentucky the following Saturday, you don’t have to look at the schedule to know who the opponent is on Wednesday night:

Trap Game University.

Duke had three first-round NBA Draft picks. NBA scouts lined the edge of the court during pre-game warm-ups. Kentucky needs no extra hype.

But how many University of Louisville men’s basketball players could get their adrenaline boiling for UTEP Wednesday at the KFC Yum! Center?

You're playing a team ranked 147th in the nation in the computer formulas and there were about 3,500 fewer people in the downtown arena than there were three nights ago.

"To honest, I had not even thought about that (UK) game because we had to play UTEP first," Louisville point guard Chucky Hepburn said.

Turns out the Cards had just enough adrenaline (and grit) to end their 3-game losing streak and upgrade their record to 6-4.

Terrance Edwards, J'Vonne Hadley and Hepburn decided it was time to put the Cards' three-point game on hold and attack the rim during a thunderous spurt midway through the second half.

That carried the Cardinals to a 77-74 victory over the talented Miners. Ryne Smith made a pair of free throws with 6.2 seconds to play to secure the win, that did not become official until UTEP’s Corey Camper missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. 

Even that was dangerous. Pat Kelsey told his players to foul so the Miners would have to shoot free throws and not have a chance to attempt a three. Kelsey said that was strategy preached to him by his maternal grandfather. But his guys did not foul -- and Kelsey said his grandfather and James Naismith were spinning in their graves.

"Our guys showed a lot of resolve and a lot of resiliency," Kelsey said.

On this night, the Cards won because they realized in the second half that the most direct path to the victory was taking the ball to the rim. On a night when Louisville missed 28 of 34 three-point shots, the Cards made 17 of 24 shots from inside the arc. 

In the second half, Louisville was 10 of 13 on two-point field goals. They also shot 20 free throws (making 16) while UTEP shot 9 (making 6).

"Jut give them credit," UTEP coach Joe Golding said. "They were just the tougher team and the tougher team always wins."

Playing off the bench for the second straight game, Edwards led Louisville with 22 points. He made eight free throws, which he earned by not settling for jumpers. Hadley had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Hepburn stuffed the stat sheet again — delivering 12 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds while logging 35 minutes and 17 seconds. It was the fifth consecutive game Hepburn played at least 35 minutes, a demand he has accepted Louisville has watched its rotation tighten because of injuries.

"I've just got to do what I've got to do outside the court," Hepburn said. "Rest, recover, anything to take care of my body.

"The coaches are really, really wise in how they go into practice and not beating up our bodies. But making sure we're taking it very serious with film and everything else. We just act like pros when it comes down to that type of stuff."

"It's been an interesting week and a half as we're kind of figuring some stuff out a little bit on the fly."

Missing 17 of your first 20 three-point shots will cause flashing lights for any team. That’s what happened to the Cardinals.

UTEP, which was picked to finish tied for fifth in Conference USA before the season, arrived as the national leader in steals and forcing its opponent to turn the ball over. And the Cards did lose the ball on two of their first three possessions.

But that was not the issue. The issue was an inability make shots. In the first half the Cards attempted 16 of their 27 shots from distance. They made three. That created a 36-32 hole at halftime, an advantage the Miners built to 43-36 early in the second half.

Although Kelsey insisted that the plan is always to attack the rim first and take threes if prime shots are not available, Edwards and Hadley showed they were comfortable attacking the glass.

Edwards made 6 free throws and a layup in the final 13:46 as the Cards broke a 47-47 tie. Hadley contributed two short jumpers and three free throws in the same stretch.

Golding created the Cards' ability to adapt. "(Kelsey) is obviously trying to put his team together with all the injuries," Golding said.

Although the Miners were 14 1/2-point underdogs, they arrived on a three-game winning streak that featured victories over Long Beach State, North Carolina Greensboro and Seattle.

They defended with tenacity. They made three-point shots. They played 10 guys. They pushed Louisville for 40 minutes.

The Cards will report to Rupp Arena Saturday for 5:15 p.m. game against Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team. ESPN will televise.

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