Four Cardinals finish in double figures
LOUISVILLE – January 22, 2020 – (GoCards.com)
Malik Williams had 13 points and grabbed two late rebounds leading to three free throws in the final 23 seconds, helping No. 6 Louisville hold off Georgia Tech 68-64 on Wednesday night.
Steven Enoch also had 13 points while Jordan Nwora and David Johnson each scored 10 for Louisville (16-3, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which won its fifth in a row. The Cardinals held Tech (8-11, 3-6) to 33% shooting in the second half after the Yellow Jackets made 62% before halftime.
The Cardinals trailed 43-32 early in the second half before outscoring the Yellow Jackets 22-9 over 10 1/2 minutes to lead 54-52 on Lamarr Kimble’s layup with 7:33 remaining. Louisville pushed ahead 65-54 before the Georgia Tech scored 10 consecutive points to get within one with 1:20 left on James Banks III’s dunk.
Williams then blocked Moses Wright’s shot, got the rebound and drew the foul before making one of two free throws with 23.2 seconds left. Williams got another defensive rebound and went to the line with 7.4 seconds left and made both for a four-point edge. Jose Alvarado’s 3-point attempt with 4 seconds left bounced off the rim to Kimble.
Michael Devoe had 21 points and Alvarado scored 13 for the Yellow Jackets, who lost their third straight and fourth of five.
BIG PICTURE
Georgia Tech: The mercurial Yellow Jackets lost their previous two games by just nine points and have lost their last four ACC matchups by 23 total points. They battled back after a cold second-half stretch.
Louisville: Having cleared a big hurdle last weekend with a three-game road sweep, the Cardinals sought to maintain momentum and chemistry at home. Breaking through against the Yellow Jackets took time and effort, especially considering their poor free-throw shooting (14 of 23, 60.9%).
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech hosts North Carolina State on Saturday, seeking a season sweep. The Yellow Jackets earned an 82-81 overtime win in their conference opener on Nov. 5.
Louisville hosts Clemson on Saturday in the first of two meetings with the Tigers. The Cardinals visit Clemson on Feb. 15.
