The Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the Louisville Cardinals 71-54 in a game that saw a scoring drought at a crucial time. The loss on Senior Night at the KFC Yum! Center was particularly disheartening for the Cardinals, who were unable to complete a comeback in the second half.
Despite cutting a double-digit deficit to just three with 9:08 remaining, the Cardinals were unable to overcome Virginia Tech’s 14-0 run that effectively put the game out of reach. Head coach Kenny Payne expressed his disappointment at the performance of some of his players, stating that they did not come to play on Senior Night, which was the last game of the regular season.
The Hokies took control of the game in the first half with a 14-2 run that opened up a 20-10 lead. Despite being down by eight at halftime, the Cardinals quickly fell behind by double digits again in the second half. Back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard El Ellis and junior forward JJ Traynor cut Virginia Tech’s lead to just three points, but the Hokies answered with a 3-pointer off multiple offensive rebounds. Offensive rebounding was a common theme in the second half as the Hokies ultimately racked up 18 offensive boards and 24 second-chance points.
Grant Basile led Virginia Tech with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Ellis and redshirt freshman guard/forward Mike James had 14 points each for Louisville. Traynor added nine points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
The Cardinals committed 12 turnovers, which resulted in 18 Virginia Tech points and helped offset the Hokies’ 37.5% shooting night. The loss leaves Louisville with a 4-26 record and a 2-17 record in ACC play.
The Cardinals’ regular season comes to a close on Saturday with a game against No. 13/12 Virginia in Charlottesville. Despite the disappointing loss, James expressed the importance of pushing through and continuing to love the game of basketball, no matter how tough the circumstances may be.
Overall, Virginia Tech’s dominance on the offensive boards proved to be the deciding factor in their victory over Louisville. The Cardinals will look to regroup and end their season on a high note against Virginia.