In a closely contested matchup at home, the Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team suffered a 61-58 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers. The game was a tightly fought battle from start to finish, but the Cardinals just came up short in the end.
The Cardinals had a solid performance from their top scorer El Ellis, who tallied 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Ellis played 39 minutes and also contributed four rebounds, three assists, and three turnovers.
Jae’Lyn Withers, who was expected to have a big game, had a decent outing, contributing 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Withers played 31 minutes and led the team in rebounds with eight.
Mike James added 10 points, two assists, and two rebounds in 37 minutes of play. JJ Traynor had nine points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes, while Kamari Lands had a quiet game, only scoring two points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field and grabbing three rebounds in 33 minutes on the court.
The Cardinals’ bench production was limited, with Sydney Curry scoring four points in 13 minutes of play, and Hercy Miller and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield failing to register a point in their combined 15 minutes on the court.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals’ defense showed up, holding the Cavaliers to just 61 points and 39.6% shooting from the field. However, the Cardinals struggled on the offensive end, shooting only 42% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
For the Cavaliers, their top scorers were Kihei Clark and Armaan Franklin, both of whom contributed 14 points in the game. Clark played 31 minutes, shooting 5-of-11 from the field, including 1-of-1 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. He also had six assists, three rebounds, and one turnover.
Franklin played 31 minutes, shooting 5-of-8 from the field, including 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Ben Vander Plas was a force on the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end, and scoring 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, including 2-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 0-of-1 from the free-throw line. Jayden Gardner added 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed three rebounds in 28 minutes of play.
Reece Beekman struggled to get going offensively, going scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting from the field, but he contributed two assists and two steals in 34 minutes of play. Off the bench, Isaac McKneely scored eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and had two assists in 27 minutes of play.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals showed some positive signs in the game, particularly on the defensive end. The team will need to work on improving their offensive efficiency, and better utilize their bench production going forward.
The Cardinals, who are now 3-23 and 1-14 in ACC play, will look to bounce back in their next game against Clemson on Saturday.
