In a tough non-conference matchup, the Louisville men’s basketball team found themselves in a deep hole during the first half and couldn’t recover, ultimately falling to DePaul with a score of 75-68. The Cardinals struggled with their shooting, hitting only 40% from the field and 26% from beyond the arc.
Head coach Kenny Payne expressed his disappointment with their performance, stating, “I was very disappointed in how we came out today. We prepared for this game, but it felt like we played for ourselves, not for Louisville. That’s a problem.”
The game started off evenly matched, with a 20-all tie at the 5:51 mark. However, DePaul closed out the half strong with an 18-2 run, including the final eight points, to take a commanding 38-22 lead at halftime. Louisville struggled to find their rhythm, shooting only 39% in the first half and missing all six of their 3-point attempts.
The Cardinals showed signs of a comeback in the second half, going on a 10-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman guard Ty-Laur Johnson and a layup from guard/forward Mike James. This cut the deficit to 41-32 with just over 17 minutes remaining. Louisville continued to fight, with a 7-0 run bringing them within six points at 53-47 with 9:37 left on the clock.
Unfortunately, DePaul responded with a 7-0 run of their own, extending their lead to 13 points. Louisville was unable to come any closer than seven points for the rest of the game. James led the Cardinals with 18 points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard Skyy Clark added 16 points. Johnson contributed 12 points and five assists.
Senior forward JJ Traynor did not play in the game due to an upper-body injury. Jeremiah Oden led DePaul with 22 points, as they shot an impressive 51% from the field.
Louisville will now return home for their final three games before the holidays, with their first matchup against Arkansas State at the KFC Yum! Center on Wednesday. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
