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University of Louisville
UNLV
Louisville Dominates UNLV, 68-48
November 21, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2007
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Louisville passed its first test without injured post players Juan Palacios and David Padgett.
Earl Clark had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Jerry Smith added 14 points to lead No. 6 Louisville past UNLV 68-48 on Wednesday night.
Louisville (3-0) led by double digits in the first half, but UNLV made four straight 3-pointers to take a 35-33 lead with 14:36 left.
Following a time out, Louisville scored the next nine points, including 3-pointers from Terrence Williams and Edgar Sosa, and never trailed again. The outburst was capped by a transition dunk from Clark as the Cardinals went on a decisive 16-2 run.
Palacios, a senior and the lone contributing holdover from the Cardinals' 2005 Final Four team, is expected back from a torn ligament in his right knee by mid-December. Padgett, also out with an injured knee, could be lost for the season.
In the interim, the Cardinals will rely on forward Derrick Caracter, who scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds before fouling out late, and a host of others to carry the load. Sosa added 10 points.
Louisville, in town early for the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday, will play formidable BYU in the semifinals and could meet No. 1 North Carolina in the finals.
UNLV (3-1), which had won its previous 19 games at home, got a team-high 11 points from Matt Shaw, the lone Rebel in double figures. Wink Adams and Joe Darger added nine points each for the Rebels, who missed 17 of their first 21 shots.
