CRAWFORD | Late lapses cost Louisville the lead, and the game, in 74-66 setback to Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The University of Louisville men's basketball team continued to rehabilitate its image in the consolation game of the Empire Classic in Madison Square Garden Monday night, but they faltered late after taking a lead to the final TV timeout in a 74-66 loss to Indiana.

Louisville surged to a seven-point lead with 8 minutes to play behind the play of back-up point guard Ty-Laur Johnson, but Indiana coach Mike Woodson put his team into a zone defense, and Louisville could score only six points the rest of the way, making just two field goals in the game’s final 9:54.

While Louisville struggled against Indiana’s zone, the key sequence came after the final TV timeout, with Johnson off the court. Louisville couldn’t penetrate Indiana’s zone and was unable to create decent looks.

Indiana, in the meantime, went on a 21-4 run over the final 5:01, with only a Louisville layup with 4 seconds left ending the skid.

Skyy Clark, who made that layup, led Louisville with 19 points on 5 of 15 shooting. Tre White added 10 but was just 3-for-9 from the field.

Indiana looked as if it might pull away early, but after leading by 10 with just under two minutes left in the first half, saw that edge cut in half by the buzzer. In the second half, Indiana again went up nine early, but the play of Johnson turned the momentum, and Louisville built its own seven-point lead with just under eight minutes to play, before its cold stretch began.

There were bad turnovers in that stretch, as well. But most occurred away from the hands of Johnson, who had four assists and one turnover in the game, along with six points.

Indiana dominated the paint with a 42-28 scoring edge and got 30 points off its bench.

So what did Louisville accomplish on the trip? It played better against better competition. It played much better 3-point defense, allowing just 3 triples during the two-game appearance. It battled on the boards (except for a late stretch against Texas after Brandon Huntley-Hatfield fouled out).

It awakened Huntley-Hatfield. It began to get a glimpse of who it can be. Payne should have found a primary point guard in Johnson, if he hasn’t, with Clark seeing more time off the ball. In Johnson’s 17 minutes of play, Louisville was plus-4. The game also was the best yet for Cardinal freshman and Louisville product Kaleb Glenn, who had five points and three rebounds in 12 minutes, during which the Cardinals were plus-17 on the scoreboard.

Louisville competed and played improved defense in spots, though there were many lapses. Its lack of a zone offense cost it the game against Indiana. An inability to secure defensive rebounds late were the killer against Texas.

The Cardinals need to develop big men Emmanuel Okorafor and Dennis Evans, and fast.

Still, the program comes back to Louisville with more signs of life that it appeared to take with it to New York.

How it responds to what it has learned in home games coming up against New Mexico State and Bellarmine could go a long way to charting a course for the rest of the season.

It wasn’t exactly the results Louisville wanted when it headed to New York, but it’s a vast improvement over what they saw in a trip to Maui last November, and leaves far more room for hope.