In a heart-stopping finish that will be remembered for ages, the Louisville Cardinals suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Syracuse Orange. The final score of 70-69 does not do justice to the sheer drama and tension that filled the air as the clock ticked down to the final seconds.
El Ellis led the charge for the Cardinals with a valiant performance, scoring 20 points and dishing out nine assists. Mike James also shone on the field, delivering a career-best 19 points. But it was not to be, as the Orange’s star guard Joe Girard stole the show with a game-high 28 points.
The two teams battled back and forth in a thrilling match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. In the end, it came down to a single, fateful play that saw the ball slip through the Cardinals’ grasp and into the hands of the Orange. And as the final whistle blew, the Louisville team was left to rue the missed opportunities and turn their eyes towards the future. Despite the loss, it is clear that the Cardinals have the talent and determination to bounce back and fight for victory in the games to come.
The Cardinals got off to a strong start, with El Ellis leading the charge with his scoring and playmaking abilities. The senior guard scored 20 points on 7-14 shooting from the field and dished out 9 assists, helping to keep the Louisville offense humming. Mike James also had a standout performance, finishing with 19 points on 7-12 shooting and adding 2 assists and 3 rebounds.
Kamari Lands contributed 7 points for the Cardinals, shooting 3-11 from the field and 1-6 from beyond the arc. The junior forward also added 1 assist and 3 rebounds in his 32 minutes on the court.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield provided a spark off the bench for the Cardinals, scoring 6 points on 3-4 shooting and grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. The freshman forward also added 2 assists and 1 steal in his first start of the season.
Sydney Curry and Jae’Lyn Withers also made contributions for the Cardinals, with Curry scoring 5 points on 2-5 shooting and Withers adding 10 points on 4-11 shooting. Both players also grabbed 7 rebounds, with Curry adding 1 assist and Withers chipping in with 2 assists and 1 steal.
JJ Traynor and Roosevelt Wheeler also saw time on the court for the Cardinals, with Traynor scoring 2 points on 1-5 shooting and Wheeler going scoreless in 4 minutes of play.
Despite a strong showing from the Cardinals, the Orange proved to be too much to handle, thanks in large part to the efforts of star guard Joe Girard. The senior guard finished the game with a game-high 28 points, knocking down several key jumpers and free-throws in the game’s closing minutes.
The two teams battled back and forth throughout the game, with the lead changing hands several times. In the end, it came down to a single, fateful play that saw the ball slip through the Cardinals’ grasp and into the hands of the Orange. And as the final whistle blew, the Louisville team was left to rue the missed opportunities and turn their eyes towards the future.
Despite the loss, it is clear that the Louisville Cardinals have the talent and determination to compete with the best teams in the league. Led by the strong performances of Ellis, James, and Huntley-Hatfield, the Cardinals will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with in the games to come.
While the defeat is surely a disappointment for the Louisville team, they can take solace in the fact that they gave it their all and fought until the very end. They will look to regroup and come back stronger in their next matchup, determined to earn a victory and get back on track.
Syracuse 70
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Girard III,Joseph | * | 40 | 7-18 | 4-8 | 10-11 | 0-7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 28 |
| 03 | Mintz,Judah | * | 40 | 7-15 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 14 | Edwards,Jesse | * | 32 | 4-10 | 0-0 | 4-8 | 4-7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| 00 | Bell,Chris | * | 20 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 13 | Williams,Benny | * | 28 | 0-3 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 05 | Taylor,Justin | 20 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 01 | Brown,Maliq | 11 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 55 | Hima,Mounir | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 02 | Ajak,John Bol | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 22-54 | 7-16 | 19-25 | 10-23 | 33 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 70 |
Louisville 69
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 | Ellis,El | * | 40 | 7-14 | 4-8 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| 01 | James,Mike | * | 33 | 7-12 | 4-6 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| 22 | Lands,Kamari | * | 32 | 3-11 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 05 | Huntley-Hatfield,Brandon | * | 30 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 21 | Curry,Sydney | * | 19 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 1-6 | 4-3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 24 | Withers,Jae’Lyn | 23 | 4-11 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-7 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |
| 12 | Traynor,JJ | 19 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 04 | Wheeler,Roosevelt | 4 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 27-63 | 11-27 | 4-10 | 15-23 | 38 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 69 |
