LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The analytics showed that of Louisville’s nine remaining road games in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Cardinals’ visit to Georgia Tech Sunday night registered as their second-most winnable trip.
Only winning at Pittsburgh looked like a more favorable opportunity.
Louisville controlled the second half with a solid defensive performance, defeating Georgia Tech, 67-64, at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.
Malik Williams scored his 20th and final point, a free throw with 7.4 seconds to play, to give the Cards a 3-point lead before Tech’s Kyle Sturdivant missed a game-trying 3-point shot in the final second.
The Cards' defense was excellent on that play. Tech could not get a shot for Michael Devoe or Jordan Usher, who scored 40 of the Yellow Jackets' points.
"(Williams) played like a true senior," UofL coach Chris Mack said.
"I thought Malik Williams really took advantage when we were small," Tech coach Josh Pastner said. "That size really hurt us inside .. both in man to man and in zone, we struggled against him when we were smaller."
The Cards out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets by nine and limited the home team to a 41.1% shooting night.
Louisville was also the more aggressive team. They attacked the lane and shot 22 free throws, 10 more than the home team. Remember: Louisville only shot 7 free throws in its loss at Western Kentucky. They outscored Tech in the paint, 34-22.
The Cardinals improved to 9-4 overall but they are unbeaten in three ACC games. With a pair of road victories, the Cards are tied at the top of the league with Miami (FL).
How important was another road win?
"It was huge," Williams said. "We've got to continue to come out every night with the same energy and the same pop."
Williams continued to perform like the Cardinals’ best player. His 20 points marked his eighth consecutive game in double figures. Williams also had 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double during that stretch.Â
Without concerns about the leg injuries that have troubled him throughout his career, Williams has averaged 13.1 points and 8.1 rebounds since the Maryland game Nov. 27. Mack said Williams improved health has allowed him to focus on basketball, "not his ankle, not his foot."
"I'm for sure getting more and more comfortable and the confidence is coming back," Williams said.
Jarrod West showed why Mack brought him from Marshall to play point guard. His defense was terrific and he also scored 10 points.
"He gave Devoe a hard way to go," Mack said.
Although Devoe led Georgia Tech with 23 points, both Williams and Mack credited West for making Devoe scramble for every point on his 16 field goal attempts. Devoe missed his final two shots and managed only one field goal in the final 6 minutes.
"(West) has that pop," Williams said. "He wants to guard the best player ... Jarrod always does a great job. He's had that mindset since June 1 (when he arrived on campus).
"Defense wins games. Defense wins championships. There's going to be some nights when the shots don't fall. We've always got to have it on the defensive end, regardless of what happens on the offensive end."
Matt Cross and Dre Davis each had 13. Both guys earned more credit that that sentence. Cross stole a pass from Tech's Usher with 28 seconds left and the Cards ahead by 1.
Davis did not start for the first time this season. After a scoreless first half, Davis made a pair of shots that tied the game and then his 3-point play on an offensive rebound put Louisville ahead to stay (50-49) with 9:13 to play.Â
"That was huge," Williams said. "(Davis) stuck with it. He got his reward for it."
The Cards return home to play Pittsburgh, the league’s worst team, Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Panthers are 5-8 overall and winless in two ACC games. On Saturday Louisville will travel to Florida State for a game that will tip at 8 p.m.
"I'm certainly pleased but far from satisfied," Mack said. "We have to be able to get better over the next week, two weeks, three weeks ... we've got a lot of work to do on the offensive end."
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