CRAWFORD | Baptism by Orange: No. 12 Tennessee bullies Louisville 77-55

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Here’s what was good. The crowd. For the first time in three years, really, a large and heavily-engaged crowd descended on the KFC Yum! Center for Louisville’s noon showdown against No. 12 Tennessee.

What also was good was the competition. Tennessee does what it does. It was tough, physical, dogged defensively and well-drilled offensively. One more good thing was the experience. For a brand-new Louisville team, most of whom come to the school from the mid-major ranks, it was a baptism by orange – but Saturday’s 77-55 loss was an experience to learn from.

It was a game that had to be played, as Louisville embarks on games against teams just as good in its non-conference slate, beginning at the Battle4Atlantis later this month, where it will face Indiana in the opening game.

Other than that, you had to really dig to find the good for the Cardinals. This was a pretty complete physical domination. Tennessee outrebounded Louisville 40-26 and shot better than 50 percent from the field and from three-point range. The outscored Louisville 40-10 in the paint.

The Cardinals took nearly six minutes to score and had four turnovers in their first five possessions.

Not only did they look like they were struggling to adjust to the more physical Volunteers, but to the home crowd as well. While Chucky Hepburn, a starter at Wisconsin, has been in big-time college environments, many of the other Cardinals have not.

A Louisville offense that has been fluid and crisp through four exhibition games and a season-opening win against Morehead State, looked stuck in the mud against a Tennessee team that challenged every cut, hugged outside shooters when the ball went to the opposite side of the court.

Player movement ground to a halt. Guards wound up dribbling without accomplishing much. Three-pointers were challenged.

The Cards took 23 first-half three-pointers and made just five. They trailed by 14 at the half. Noah Watterman, who had 10 points, was the only Louisville player in double figures.

Louisville looked to find its feet late in the first half, and pulled within nine points a little more than six minutes into the second half, but Tennessee responded with a 12-2 run to put the game away.

Most of Louisville’s offense came from the shooting of Reyne Smith, who made three second-half three-pointers to finish with a team-high 16 points. No other Louisville player scored in double figures.

Louisville finished 10 of 39 from three-point range and 6 of 21 from two-point. They scored only five second-chance points.

Next up is a meeting with Bellarmine on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.