LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville beat Bellarmine the way that Louisville is supposed to handle a program from the ASUN Conference Tuesday night at the KFC Yum! Center.
After losing to Bellarmine two years ago and then surviving a game where the Cards trailed in the second half last season, Louisville never let the Knights believe anything funky would happen in Round Three -- other than a quick knockout.
Louisville 100, Bellarmine 68 -- and exit the building ASAP because they were in a rush to clean the facility and then assemble the stage for the Justin Timberlake concert Wednesday night. It was the most points Bellarmine has allowed since BYU put 101 on the Knights last Dec. 22.
There wasn't much drama -- at least until the final 2 1/2 minutes when Bellarmine forward Dylan Branson was ejected on a flagrant two foul for shoving U of L forward Kasean Pryor while Pryor was in the air near the rim. That's dangerous. And unnecessary. That's why Branson, who already had 3 fouls, had to go.
Cards coach Pat Kelsey did not empty his bench until there was 1:13 to play and the Cards led, 100-66. After the game Kelsey said he had "the utmost respect" for the program Scott Davenport has built at Bellarmine.
"I love our team," Kelsey said. "I'm bullish on our team. I love to coach them.
"As I said in the locker room, our team has a chance to be really good because it's player led."
The Cards improved from No. 68 to 64 in Ken Pomeroy's computer power rankings.
What Kelsey liked most Tuesday was that five guys scored in double figures, led by Terrence Edwards Jr., who had 26, and Pryor, who had 21. Point guard Chucky Hepburn had his best all-around game, finishing with 16 points, 5 assists and 4 steals.
The Cards jumped ahead by 11 points with 7:05 remaining in the first half and the lead never dipped under double figures over the final 27 minutes.
Bellarmine came into the game ranked 351st in the nation in defending the three-point shot. That is not a weakness you want to have if you expect to beat Kelsey’s team.
Louisville made 12 of 35 shots from distance. U of L has made at least 10 threes in all three games, 33 for the season. The most threes the Cards made in any game last season was 11 against Syracuse.
The Cards made back-to-back-to-back three-pointers twice in the first half while putting Bellarmine in a sleep hold in this one.
First it was a pair by Pryor and one by Noah Waterman as Louisville opened a 13-7 lead.
Then it was a 67-second burst with threes by Terrence Edwards, Reyne Smith and Waterman that pushed Bellarmine behind 41-23.
Good night.
Both teams were without important players. For Bellarmine that was forward Jack Karasinski, the Knights’ leading scorer at 18.3 points per game. Davenport said Karasinski had a medical procedure Tuesday afternoon for a back issue that has bothered him for several days.
Davenport said that the Knights' locker room was also unsettled because of an issue that affected a family member of one Bellarmine player.
"There were tears in that locker room," Davenport said. "We fought. We just ran out of gas ... In this day and age, caring is a phenomenal talent."
Bellarmine was led by guard Ben Johnson, who made six shots from distance and scored 29 points. Davenport told his players to pass Johnson's jersey around the locker room "to wring the sweat" out of it after Johnson played tirelessly over nearly 36 minutes.
"That was a phenomenal performance," Davenport said. "He never quit a second."
"They were short-handed tonight and without their leading scorer," Kelsey said. "I thought their kids played hard."
Louisville was down two guys. Starting forward Aboubacar Traore will miss extended time with a broken left arm. Reserve point guard Koren Johnson was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Kelsey said he was uncertain when either player would return.
"Next man up," Kelsey said. "They'll grow while they're out."
The Cards (2-1) have another home game Friday at 7 p.m. against Winthrop (where Kelsey got his head coaching start) before they depart for a Thanksgiving Week tournament in The Bahamas.
Bellarmine (0-5) returns to Knights Hall on Saturday to host Bowling Green. The Knights won at Bowling Green last season by 18 points.
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