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University of Louisville
IUPUI<br>(Billy Minardi Classic)
Palacios Propels Cardinals Past IUPUI
December 21, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2004
Box Score | Quotes | Notes
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Freshman Juan Palacios had career-highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds and No. 18 Louisville overcame two key injuries to beat IUPUI 80-60 on Tuesday night in the first round of the Billy Minardi Classic. The Cardinals will meet Austin Peay, a 91-73 winner over New Orleans, in the championship game on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at Freedom Hall.
Taquan Dean added 20 points and Larry O'Bannon had 14 for the Cardinals (7-2), who played without Ellis Myles and Otis George, their two leading rebounders.
The 6-foot-7 Myles, who leads Conference USA with 9.6 rebounds per game, sat out with a right hamstring injury. The 6-8 George is out 2 to 4 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot.
Luckily for Louisville, the 6-8 Palacios bounced back quickly after having a scratched cornea in Saturday's 60-58 loss to No. 8 Kentucky.
Palacios wore protective goggles and went 9-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line as Louisville gradually pulled away from the Jaguars (4-5).
Akeem Clark hit seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points for IUPUI.
Despite its thin front line, Louisville had a 33-22 rebound advantage.
Desperate for big men, Pitino started 6-10 freshman Terrance Farley, who had played only 6 minutes all season. Farley was dismissed from the team and then reinstated last week after breaking unspecified rules.
Farley played 4 ineffective minutes on Tuesday, then went to the bench and did not return.
Pitino tinkered with sometimes odd-looking lineups the rest of the way. During one stretch, the tallest Cardinal on the floor was 6-6 Lorrenzo Wade, a freshman who had played only 46 minutes all season before Tuesday.
The Cardinals relied on 3-point shooting and pesky defense to build their lead.
Louisville led 35-22 at halftime after going 6-of-12 from 3-point range. The Jaguars shot 32 percent (8-of-25) from the field and committed 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Dean hit a 3-pointer and Palacios scored in the lane early in the second half, as Louisville pushed the lead to 19 points. The Jaguars got no closer than 13 after that.
The four-team Minardi Classic is named after Pitino's brother-in-law, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer
