Louisville, Ky – December 8, 2024 – Aidan King
The Louisville Cardinals welcome the Duke Blue Devils to the KFC Yum! Center in front of a packed crowd. The Cards coming off a tough loss to Ole Miss are looking to show off their skills and stun the nation with a win. Duke is ready to continue their winning streak with an impressive win over Auburn. The Louisville fans were loud before the game started and showed they will be a problem for the opposing team.
From the jump the cards looked like a completely different team. With guards Chucky Hepburn and Reyne Smith setting the tone early, they nailed the first two 3s of the game. The Cardinals started switching in and out of a full court press and a half court man. But Duke kept the score close on the Cardinals. Every call that went the Cardinals way the Yum! would erupt. Midway through the 1st half the Blue Devils defence often seemed to be on their heels and never seemed to catch their footing. The Cards continued to stay hot from 3 and everything seemed to be going Louisville’s way. The Louisville defense suffocated Duke, not allowing anything to fly.
Score at Half: Louisville lead (37-33)
Duke came out of the half with a much stronger defense but their offense stayed stagnant. The Cards picked up their offense right where they left off and the crowd was just as loud. The Cards attacked the paint with a confidence that the fans have not seen out of this team. Duke guard Tyrese Proctor got into some early foul trouble which restricted his minutes significantly in the 2nd half. The Cards entered the bonus at the 11 minute mark. Cardinals stuck with the game plan and played to their own speed. The Blue Devils tied the game with a big dunk by Sion James. The Blue Devils stayed in striking distance the whole game waiting for a slip up by the Cards. The slip in question happened with a few turnovers and playing into Duke’s pace of play.
Final Duke wins (76-65)
Once again the Cardinals come up short to a ranked opponent. However, this is not a loss to hang your head about. The Cards showed that if they can get in a comfortable pace of play they can be dangerous. The Cardinals are well coached and heading into the ACC should be just fine. The best Cardinal of the night was Guard Terrance Edwards Jr. he finished with 19 points on 6-12 shooting and 3-4 from 3 point land. The Cards will be back home on December 11th playing the UTEP Miners.
