The Kenny Payne era finally glimpsed its potential Sunday, as Louisville steamrolled Pepperdine 85-63 for Payne’s largest margin of victory at the helm.
“First off, I am proud of the way guys played today, played with energy, played together,” Payne said. “Seventeen assists goes to show that we are capable.”
A balanced Cardinal attack featured six double-digit outings, led by forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield’s 20 points and 12 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Mike James poured in 19 points while freshman Curtis Williams drained four triples off the bench en route to a career-best 16 points.
Louisville dominated the glass 43-27 and owned a 40-22 edge in paint scoring. The Cards shared the sugar to the tune of 17 assists while canning nine threes and shooting 56% from deep.
After leading wire-to-wire, Louisville turned it on coming out of halftime with a 10-0 burst. Up 30 with four minutes left, Payne was able to go deep into his bench in the complete effort.
“We have to make sure we’re not making mental mistakes because we’re tired,” said Huntley-Hatfield. “We just need to stay focused.”
Riding high from arguably their most complete performance under Payne, the Cards look to carry momentum into Thursday’s bitter in-state rivalry tilt with 14th-ranked Kentucky.
