Louisville vs. Louisiana-Lafayette - NCAA First Round - Post-Game Notes

March 18, 2005

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NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES:

Louisville advances to face the winner of #5 Georgia Tech/#12 George Washington on Sunday
Louisville owns a 7-0 advantage in the all-time series (first meeting since 1991)
Second all-time meeting between teams in NCAA Tournament (Louisville won, 88-84, in 1972)
Louisville wins its opening round game in the NCAA Tourney for only second time in last five visits
Game featured 14 lead changes and nine ties, including eight lead changes and five ties in 2nd half
First eight minutes of game featured six lead changes and four ties

#4 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (30-4)

Making 32nd appearance in NCAA Tournament (5th-most all-time); appearing for third straight year
Enters tournament field as #4 seed despite #4 ranking in latest Associated Press poll
Improves to 50-33 all-time in NCAA Tourney action
Improves to 7-5 all-time when playing as a #4 seed & 5-0 when facing a #13 seed
Rick Pitino improves to 28-9 as a coach in NCAA Tournament play
Extends winning streak to 10 games, their longest this season; has won 19 of its last 20
Coming off first Conference USA championship & best record (29-4) since 1982-83 (22 years)
Only the second team in C-USA history to win regular season & tournament titles in same season (CIN)
Improves to 76-44 all-time when facing a Sun Belt opponent & 22-3 against Louisiana colleges
Improves to 5-1 on neutral court in 2004-05
Improves to 24-2 when leading at halftime (held a 33-32 advantage)

F Francisco Garcia (First Team All-Conference USA, team-leading 15.4 ppg)

Game-high 27 points, two shy of his career high
9th 20+ pt. game (1st in his last 13 contests); 28th double-digit scoring total of 2004-05
9-of-9 at FT line

G Taquan Dean (Third Team All-Conference USA)

G Larry O'Bannon

University of Louisville Athletics