How it happened: No. 20 Louisville puts Boston College away in second half
It wasn’t pretty, but 20th-ranked Louisville men’s basketball did enough in the second half to get a 75-62 winover Boston College.
It’s the first win of the new year for Pat Kelsey, and the 300th of his career, as the Cardinals improve 12-4 and 2-2 in the ACC.
The Cards trailed by as many as 10 in the first half, before cutting it to a 34-30 halftime deficit.
Mikel Brown Jr. (back) didn’t suit up for the sixth consecutive game, as hours before tip-off, CBS Sports’ Seth Davis reported that junior guard London Johnson would have his redshirt lifted and would be made available to play in Saturday’s game against the Eagles. He did not see the floor.
Louisville’s leading scorer, Ryan Conwell, was listed as a game-time decision and ultimately held out with a knee injury he sustained in practice.
Adrian Wooley led Louisville in field goal attempts (12) in Conwell’s absence and scored 16 points, dished out four assists, and grabbed six rebounds. The sophomore was aggressive, attacking the basket, while also managing the game as the lead-ball handler.
Isaac McKneely started 0-of-his-first-5 from beyond the arc, but hit two crucial 3-pointers in the second half and finished with 13 points. It was a solid bounce-back performance for a Louisville backcourt that struggled facilitating against both Duke and Stanford. The Cards were even in assists and turnovers with 13 assists.
Sananda Fru was excellent after his worst statistical performance of the season against Duke, and scored 19 while also adding a team-high 13 rebounds. The Cards ran the offense through the German down the stretch as he made 8-of-9 field goals, also hitting a 3, and tallying two blocks. The Eagles’ Fred Payne had a team-best 22 points, with three others in double-figures — Jayden Hastings, Donald Hand, and Luka Toews.
It also should be noted that Louisville’s Khani Rooths played 25 minutes, 14 in the second half, and provided a nice defensive spark while snatching 11 rebounds and adding three points.
The Cardinals eventually took a nine-point lead with under four minutes left and never looked back, outscoring Boston College 45-28 after the halftime break.
Louisville welcomes its second-ranked team in a week span when No. 23 Virginia comes to town on Tuesday night. Ryan Odom’s Cavaliers play Stanford in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon.
