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NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Regional Semifinal Game Notes
March 27, 2009 | Men's Basketball
March 27, 2009
Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2 | Louisville v Arizona Photo Gallery
• Rick Pitino achieved his 200th win at Louisville with today's 103-64 win over Arizona.
• Louisville advances to the Elite Eight for the 11th time. Only twice have the Cardinals not advanced to the Final Four from the Elite Eight - 1997 and 2008. The Cardinals have won 21 of their last 28 postseason tournament games over the last five years, and 11 of their last 14 NCAA Tournament games over the last five years.
• Louisville is now 7-0 in NCAA Tournament games played in Indianapolis. Louisville won the 1980 national championship at Market Square Arena. They won two games in the first and second rounds in both 1989 and 1993 at the RCA Dome. Tonight was Arizona's first loss in NCAA Tournament action in Indianapolis. The Wildcats won the 1997 national championship with two wins at the RCA Dome.
• Louisville's 103 points are the most they have scored in an NCAA Tournament game. Their previous best was 98 points, which came in a losing effort on March 24, 1988. Oklahoma defeated the Cardinals, 108-98, on that day. This is the 100th time Louisville has scored 100 points or more in its basketball history. They have won all 100 games when they have topped the century mark.
• The 103 points was the most scored by Louisville this season (their previous best was 99 against DePaul on February 15). The 103 points was the most allowed by Arizona this season (the previous opponent high was 97 by Washington on January 29).
• The 39-point margin was Louisville's best-ever in an NCAA Tournament game. Their previous best was 30 on two occasions - March 23, 2008, when they defeated Oklahoma, 78-48, and March 16, 1968, when they defeated Kansas State, 93-63. The 39-point margin was Arizona's worst defeat in NCAA Tournament play. Their previous worst loss was a 76-51 decision to Utah on March 21, 1998. The 39-point margin was also the sixth largest winning margin in an NCAA Regional game. There were two 40-point wins in NCAA Regionals - Cincinnati defeated DePaul, 99-59, on March 11, 1960, and Princeton defeated Providence, 109-69, on March 3, 1965.
• Louisville was credited with 29 assists tonight - a season high for the Cardinals. The 29 assists were the third most ever in an NCAA Regional game. The effort trails only the 35 by UNLV vs. Loyola Marymount on March 25, 1990, and the 31 by Arkansas vs. Tulsa on March 25, 1994. Eleven different Cardinals had assists tonight and no one player had more than six. Edgar Sosa, who had six assists tonight, has 52 assists and just 26 turnovers in the last 19 games.
• Louisville hit double-digits in steals for the sixth time in its last eight games. Louisville tied its season low with just nine turnovers.
• Louisville was 13-of-14 at the free throw line tonight (93%). The only game better this season from a percentage standpoint was a 2-for-2 effort in a loss to Connecticut. They have shot better than 70% at the line just 12 times this season. They are 10-2 in those games.
• With the loss, Arizona falls to 8-5 in NCAA Regional semifinals, and 6-6 vs. No. 1 seeds.
• Arizona's Chase Budinger played 36 minutes tonight, and over the last 16 games, has played 623 of a possible 645 minutes (96.5%). Budinger scored in double figures for the 31st time this season.
• Louisville's Jerry Smith was 4-for-8 on three-point field goal attempts tonight. The four treys equals his season high and the eight attempts matches his career high. The Cardinals' 14 three-pointers was the second most in a game for Louisville this season, behind the 18 made against DePaul on February 15.
• 13 players played for Louisville tonight and all 13 scored in the game.
• Arizona's Jordan Hill scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds tonight - his 19th double-double of the season, and the 34th time he scored in double figures this season. His only game not in double figures for scoring was a nine-point effort vs. Oregon on January 8.
• Arizona's Nic Wise also scored in double figures with 14 points. He has scored double digits in 15 of the last 16 games.
• Louisville's Terrence Williams had two steals tonight, giving him 86 on the season. That ties the Louisville single season record held by Darrell Griffith (1979-80) and Tick Rogers (1994-95).
• Earl Clark led the Cardinals with 19 points - his 32nd time in double figures this season.
