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University of Louisville
UAB
Men's Basketball Downs UAB, 82-62
December 27, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 27, 2008
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -Rick Pitino's little experiment seemed to get his struggling team's attention.
Terrence Williams had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Samardo Samuels added 17 points and 11 boards to help No. 19 Louisville and its revamped lineup ease by UAB 82-62 on Saturday.
Earl Clark - who didn't start for the first time this season after Pitino chastised him for inconsistent play - had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Cardinals (8-2) bounced back from a disappointing loss to Minnesota last week.
Robert Vaden led UAB (8-4) with 22 points, Lawrence Kinnard had 19 points and eight rebounds and Paul Delaney III added 16 points and four assists for the Blazers.
Pitino promised changes after the Cardinals looked lost during a loss to the Golden Gophers, saying he felt his veterans needed to snap out of an early season funk. He benched Clark and senior guard Andre McGee and started freshman Jared Swopshire and sophomore Preston Knowles instead.
The tinkering paid immediate dividends, as Swopshire hit a couple of baskets early and finished with eight points and four rebounds in 14 inspired minutes. Knowles - usually the top reserve coming off the bench - had eight points, five rebounds and two assists for the Cardinals.
Clark seemed to take the demotion well, applauding when Swopshire hit a layup and he received a modest ovation when he entered about five minutes in. He had trouble early, turning it over the first time he touched the ball, but quickly went to work defensively, getting a block on one end then coming down and finishing with a layup at the other.
Vaden, who scored a career-high 33 points at Freedom Hall last year in a neutral site win over Kentucky, got off to another hot start. He knocked down three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes but eventually cooled as Louisville wore him down by throwing body after body at him.
Clark, Williams, McGee, Swopshire and Jerry Smith all got a turn at trying to slow Vaden down and it worked, eventually. Vaden hit three of his first four 3-pointers but made just one of his last eight.
UAB hung around for awhile before the Cardinals took control late in the first half against their former Conference USA rival. Samuels hit a layup to start a 10-2 run to end the half, a run that was capped by an emphatic dunk by Williams, who faked a 3-pointer then drove down the middle of the lane for the jam to help Louisville to a 37-28 lead at the break.
The Cardinals opened the second half with another 8-2 burst fueled by back-to-back 3-pointers Knowles and Williams to push Louisville's lead to 45-30.
UAB collected itself but could never get the stops necessary to get back in the game. Whenever the Blazers seemed poised to make a run, Louisville would come down and get a putback or a 3-pointer.
Delaney hit a nifty runner to pull UAB to 64-53 with 6:16 to go, but Samuels collected an offensive rebound and got fouled. He made the first free throw and missed the second. No biggie. Clark swooped in and grabbed the ball and threw in a layup to push it back to 14. Samuels dropped in a putback on Louisville's next possession and when Clark hit a jumper from the right elbow, Louisville led 71-56 and sent some of the fans inside the steamy arena heading for the exits.
Louisville held a 40-26 rebounding edge and had 16 second-chance points. UAB's woes at the free-throw line didn't help. UAB went just 3-of-11 at the line and turned it over 16 times, including five by Vaden.
