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University of Louisville
INDIANA STATE
Cardinals Bounce Back With Big Win
December 06, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2008
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -Louisville's hangover didn't last long.
The 11th-ranked Cardinals bounced back from an upset loss to Western Kentucky last week by throttling overmatched Indiana State 83-43 in the opening game of the Marques Maybin Classic on Saturday.
Earl Clark had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Terrence Williams added 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Cardinals (3-1) overwhelmed the Sycamores (0-6).
Louisville coach Rick Pitino chastised his team for lethargic play against the Hilltoppers, saying the Cardinals' performance was the product of poor practice. He threw assistant coach Walter McCarty - a 10-year NBA veteran - onto the practice court this week in an effort to get his starters to play with a little more urgency.
It worked. Louisville needed less than five minutes to build a double-digit lead and cruised to its most lopsided win of the season.
Brant Leitnaker and Jay Tunnell both had nine points for Indiana State, which shot 28 percent from the field and had 23 turnovers.
The three-day round-robin is named after Maybin, Louisville's 13th all-time leading scorer who was paralyzed below the waist in a motorcycle accident in 2003. Maybin received a standing ovation when introduced during the second half. It was the biggest rise the crowd would get during an anticlimactic final 20 minutes.
Indiana State, one of 16 NCAA Division I schools who began the day winless, had been a tough out during its first five games. The Sycamores came in losing by an average of 6.1 points, including a five-point loss at DePaul last week and a two-point defeat to Arkansas State on Monday.
Louisville's defense and some sloppy ballhandling by the Sycamores had the outcome decided before most of the late-arriving crowd had taken their seats. The Cardinals needed less than five minutes to build a double-digit lead and poured it on from there.
Indiana State missed 19 of its first 23 shots and struggled against Louisville's fullcourt press.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, had no such trouble. With the always vocal Williams challenging his teammates to share the ball and help on defense, Louisville raced to a 25-5 lead.
Pitino laid part of the blame of the Western Kentucky loss on the team's overinflated ego, saying the Cardinals were a little too "me first" instead of "team first." Whatever message he sent during a sometimes torturous week of practice was received.
Even freshman Samardo Samuels, who is still trying to learn the intricacies of LOUISVILLE's offense, got in on the act. He started one fast break by stepping in front of a pass at midcourt and feeding it to Williams for a layup.
Williams pointed at his teammate as he ran back down the court, yelling "That's you son," as the Cardinals raced back down the floor.
Louisville led 50-17 at halftime and Pitino went deep into the bench in the second half. All 13 players who suited up found their way into the game and all but one scored.
