Tennessee Overpowers Louisville with Physicality, Paint Dominance in 83-62 Win
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Louisville’s second true road test of the season brought more of the same-and not in a good way. Just like their earlier trip to Arkansas, the Cardinals ran into a buzzsaw of physicality and execution, falling 83-62 to a Tennessee team that dictated the game from the jump and never let go.
Without starting point guard Mikel Brown Jr. in the lineup, Louisville held its own through the first 20 minutes, trailing by just seven at halftime. But the second half told a different story.
Tennessee’s pressure and physicality wore down the Cardinals, who struggled to match the Volunteers’ intensity on both ends. What was a manageable deficit ballooned to 16 midway through the second half, and by the final minutes, Tennessee had stretched its lead to 25.
The Volunteers were relentless inside, scoring 42 points in the paint and shooting an efficient 54% from the field. They finished the night averaging 1.29 points per possession, but there were stretches-particularly in the second half-when they looked even sharper than that. Louisville simply couldn’t slow them down.
And for head coach Pat Kelsey, that lack of resistance on defense was the most frustrating part.
"What's happening on the offensive, it can't affect you on the defensive end," Kelsey said postgame. "My gut, without really diving in the tape and watching, is that happened quite a bit.
You know, there's no other reason that a team like that would score at 1.4 per possession. That's unacceptable.
To go on the road and win a game on the road, you gotta be better than that regardless of what's going on the offensive end."
Kelsey’s point was clear: defensive effort has to be consistent, even when the offense isn’t clicking. And for a Louisville team still trying to find its identity, especially without its floor general in Brown, that consistency just wasn’t there.
Still, there were a few bright spots. Ryan Conwell led the Cardinals with 22 points, continuing his strong scoring stretch. Adrian Wooley, who stepped into the starting lineup in Brown’s absence, added 19 points of his own and showed flashes of confidence in a tough environment.
But outside of that duo, Louisville struggled to find rhythm. The offense stalled under Tennessee’s pressure, and the defense couldn’t hold up against the Vols’ physical interior attack.
Now sitting at a crossroads, the Cardinals will look to regroup with a home matchup against Montana coming up on Saturday, Dec. 20. Tip-off is set for noon.
This one was a reminder: on the road, against a team that brings the fight to you, effort and toughness aren’t optional-they’re the baseline. Louisville has the talent to compete, but until the physical edge matches the skill, nights like this will keep popping up.