Louisville’s 84-70 win over Chattanooga opened with the kind of burst that can send a fan base into full daydream mode.
The Cardinals were crisp right out of the gate, scoring on 10 of their first 11 possessions and racing to a 37-14 lead after just 10:28. At that point, plenty of Louisville fans probably started thinking ahead to Detroit in April, maybe even checking on Motown Studios between the national semifinals and the title game.
Then the game shifted.
Chattanooga answered with eight straight points, and Louisville’s early control began to loosen. Even so, the Cardinals still carried a 56-35 lead into halftime after shooting 57% from the field and 8 of 19 from three.
They had also piled up seven steals, and the fast break sequence involving Jackson Shelstad, Adrian Wooley and Karter Knox stood out as one of the prettiest transition plays Louisville has produced in years. Pat Kelsey had already gone to 13 different lineups despite having two men on injured reserve, and the overall package through one half was as efficient as it was exciting.
The second half told a different story.
Louisville shot just 29% after the break and went a brutal 1 for 16 from beyond the arc. The Cardinals also hit only half their free throws in the second half, finishing 15 of 26 at the line for the game.
They led by 24 with 9:02 left, then got outscored by 10 the rest of the way. Louisville missed its final six field-goal attempts, nine of its last 11, and did not make a field goal over the final 4:13.
That split between halves is the real takeaway from the night. The opening stretch was eye-catching, but it also looked like something that won’t hold up over time. It showed the ceiling for this team, and the second half showed how much work still needs to be done.
Still, there was plenty to learn from the opener. Five Cardinals finished in double figures, four had at least three assists, and Louisville kept its turnovers to 10 against a zone defense. Chattanooga, meanwhile, finished with more second-chance points, more bench points and more assists than the Cardinals.
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JaHyde Brown, the 4-star wide receiver pledged to Louisville, just set a new state record with 31 receiving touchdowns in a season, topping the old mark of 30. The production has helped send him climbing in the national recruiting rankings, giving Louisville another reason to feel encouraged about the talent it has lined up for the future. [Read more 🡒]