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University of Louisville
EASTERN KENTUCKY
Men's Basketball Defeats Eastern Kentucky, 94-77
December 26, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Dec 26, 2001
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By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Reece Gaines scored 25 points Wednesday night to lead Louisville to a 94-77 win over Eastern Kentucky in its final game before its showdown with Kentucky.
Bryant Northern added 12 and Erik Brown had 11 for the Cardinals (9-1), who visit the sixth-ranked Wildcats (7-2) on Saturday in Louisville coach Rick Pitino's long-awaited return to Rupp Arena. Pitino coached Kentucky from 1989 to 1997.
Shawn Fields had 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead Eastern Kentucky (3-7), which dropped to 0-6 on the road and lost to Louisville for the 11th straight time.
Louisville led by 11 at halftime, scoring 16 points off 13 Eastern Kentucky turnovers in the opening half.
Chris Carswell scored in the lane 15 seconds into the second half to pull the Colonels to within nine at 47-38.
Carlos Hurt answered with a driving one-hander and then passed to Gaines for a breakaway dunk to give Louisville a 51-38 lead, its largest to that point.
The Colonels cut a 20-point lead to five late, but Fields blew a breakaway dunk at the three-minute mark and Gaines converted a three-point play with 2:51 left to push Louisville's lead to 83-75.
Eastern Kentucky got no closer than six the rest of the way, as Pitino won his first meeting with Colonels' coach Travis Ford, who played point guard for him at Kentucky from 1992 to 1994.
Louisville finished an eight-game homestand without a loss, and continued its best start since the 1996-97 squad won its first 10 games.
The Cardinals have won 32 straight games when they reach 80 points.
