.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Louisville-Pikeville Postgame Notes
October 26, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 26, 2011
TEAM
- The Cardinals have now won 24 straight exhibition contests dating back to an 87-86 double-overtime loss to the Global Sports All-Stars on Dec. 2, 2000. Louisville has not lost an exhibition game in regulation since the Athletes in Action dropped the Cards 74-62 on Dec. 9, 1996, in Freedom Hall.
- Louisville opened its 2011-12 exhibition season by holding Pikeville - the defending NAIA champs, the highest-scoring team in NAIA Division I last year, and the nation's preseason No. 1 this year - scoreless during a game-opening 16-0 spurt covering the first 6:39. The Bears would respond, however, with an 18-8 run over the next 5:38 to close the gap to six (24-18).
- Including exhibitions, the 16-0 scoring run was the longest (both by time and points) to open a game by Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center. The previous highs were a 13-0 run to open the Dec. 1, 2010, game against FIU (record for points) and a 6:05 scoreless stretch to begin the Jan. 5, 2011, contest with Seton Hall (record by time).
- The matchup was the first ever between the Cardinals and Bears, as well as the first time Louisville had faced an NCAA or NAIA national champion in an exhibition game the following year. Louisville had not tangled with a first-time exhibition opponent from the U.S. since a date with Southern Indiana on Nov. 20, 2005 (82-77 win).
- Led by sophomore Gorgui Dieng's six, U of L registered 11 blocked shots on the evening (including eight in the second half alone), its most in an exhibition game over the past 31 seasons.
- Pikeville began the night 0-for-9 from three-point land before Chris Puckett finally nailed one at the 8:03 mark of the first half. Over the past two seasons, Louisville has held its exhibition foes to 7-for-44 (.159) shooting from three in the first half, including a 3-for-14 (.214) effort by Pikeville on Wednesday.
- U of L has held its last three exhibition opponents to 28 points or fewer in the first half - Pikeville put up 28 on Wednesday after Northern Kentucky and Kentucky Wesleyan each managed just 25 in the opening period last season.
- The Cards have held their last two exhibition foes to 55 points or less and their last 10 to under 70.
- Louisville finished with 55 rebounds in the contest, its highest total since recording 56 in a win over the Premier All-Stars on Dec. 11, 2002. U of L is averaging 51.7 rebounds per game during exhibition play over the last two seasons.
- Pikeville's final field goal percentage of .292 (19-for-65) was the second-lowest for a Louisville exhibition opponent since 1981-82 and lowest since Kentucky Wesleyan shot 28.6 percent (18-for-63) on Nov. 3, 2004. The Bears' second-half mark of .267 (8-for-30) was the worst for a Cardinal exhibition foe since Carleton shot 26.5 percent (9-for-34) on Oct. 29, 2007.
Lowest opponent field goal percentage in an exhibition, since 1981-82
1. .286 (18-for-63) - Kentucky Wesleyan - 11.3.04
2. .292 (19-for-65) - Pikeville - 10.26.11
- Louisville's final exhibition contest (Nov. 3) will be against another 2010-11 national champion in Bellarmine, the NCAA Division II hardware-hoister. Add in NCAA Division I victor Connecticut, and the Cards will face three national champions from a year ago this season, a claim no other school can make.
Exhibitions this season: 2010-11 national champions vs. NCAA Division I teams
NCAA Division II
10.29 - Bellarmine at Duke
11.3 - Bellarmine at Louisville
11.5 - Bellarmine at Xavier
NAIA Division I
10.26 - Louisville 74, Pikeville 55
11.4 - Pikeville at Mississippi State
PLAYER
- Dieng stuffed six Bear shots on the evening, including three in a span of 81 seconds at the start of the second half. Since 1981-82, no Cardinal has registered more blocks in an exhibition contest. Samaki Walker held the previous record with five against the Athletes in Action on Dec. 14, 1994.
Blocks in an exhibition game, since 1981-82
1. 6 - Gorgui Dieng vs. Pikeville - 10.26.11
2. 5 - Samaki Walker vs. Athletes in Action - 12.14.94
3. 4 - Ellis Myles vs. Lindsey Wilson - 12.7.04
3. 4 - Clifford Rozier vs. Athletes in Action - 12.7.92
3. 4 - Clifford Rozier vs. Russian National Team - 11.23.92
- Exhibitions included, Dieng now has five career games with five or more blocks and three with six or more.
- Dieng also corralled 15 boards on Wednesday night, giving him 32 rebounds - or 10.7 per game - over three career exhibition outings. The 15 rebounds were the most by a Cardinal in an exhibition since Kendall Dartez collected 16 in a win over the One World All-Stars on Dec. 11, 2002. Only five times since 1981-82 has Dieng's effort been eclipsed.
Rebounds in an exhibition game, since 1981-82
1. 18 - Ellis Myles vs. EA Sports - 11.6.02
2. 17 - Luke Whitehead vs. Global Sports All-Stars - 12.2.00
3. 16 - Kendall Dartez vs. One World - 12.11.02
3. 16 - Ellis Myles vs. Global Sports All-Stars - 12.2.00
3. 16 - Felton Spencer vs. Venezuela - 11.18.89
6. 15 - Gorgui Dieng vs. Pikeville - 10.26.11
7. 14 - Samardo Samuels vs. Bellarmine - 11.4.09
7. 14 - Luke Whitehead vs. Premier All-Stars - 12.3.01
7. 14 - Tony Williams vs. Athletes in Action - 11.21.99
7. 14 - Clifford Rozier vs. Russian National Team - 11.23.92
7. 14 - Felton Spencer vs. Athletes in Action - 12.11.89
7. 14 - Pervis Ellison vs. Athletes in Action - 12.21.85
- Dieng is the only Cardinal with a documented effort of 5+ blocks and 10+ rebounds in a single exhibition (records since 1981-82). The only other Louisville player to even have four blocks and 10 rebounds was Clifford Rozier, who had four blocks and 14 rebounds against the Russian National Team in Nov. 23, 1992, and four blocks and 13 rebounds against the Athletes in Action on Dec. 7 of that same season.
- The 15 rebounds were three better than Dieng's regular-season career best of 12, achieved against UConn on Feb. 18, 2011.
- Dieng was 5-for-6 from the floor in the game (14 points) to notch his second career double-double in exhibition play (also in the opener last year).
- Freshman Chane Behanan's 16 points were the most by a Cardinal in his freshman exhibition debut since Samardo Samuels had 20 against Georgetown on Nov. 1, 2008.
- Behanan also nabbed four steals in the game, fifth most by a Cardinal in an exhibition in the last 31 seasons and second most by a Louisville player in his freshman exhibition debut (behind only Peyton Siva's six in 2009-10).
Steals in an exhibition game, since 1981-82
1. 6 - Peyton Siva vs. Georgetown - 10.28.09
1. 6 - Edgar Sosa vs. Laurentian - 9.4.06
3. 5 - Reece Gaines vs. EA Sports - 10.31.01
3. 5 - Derwin Webb vs. Banik Cigel (Czech) - 11.17.90
5. 4 - Chane Behanan vs. Pikeville - 10.26.11
5. 4 - Preston Knowles vs. Georgetown - 11.1.08
5. 4 - Juan Palacios vs. Ottawa - 9.3.06
5. 4 - Larry O'Bannon vs. Lindsey Wilson - 12.7.04
5. 4 - Luke Whitehead vs. Asheville Altitude - 11.23.03
5. 4 - Dion Edward vs. Athletes in Action - 12.12.98
5. 4 - Tick Rogers vs. Argentina National Team - 11.19.94
5. 4 - DeJuan Wheat vs. Argentina National Team - 11.19.94
5. 4 - Keith LeGree vs. Athletes in Action - 12.7.92
5. 4 - Lancaster Gordon vs. Athletes in Action - 12.11.82
- Senior Chris Smith's solid night (13 points, seven rebounds) included a 3-for-3 effort from long range, making him the second player in Cardinal history to hit 3+ threes without a miss in an exhibition. The other is Eric Johnson, who was 4-for-4 from deep (and 7-for-7 overall) in a win over the Athletes in Action on Dec. 12, 1998. The last to accomplish the feat in the regular season was Rakeem Buckles (3-for-3 at Western Kentucky on Dec. 22, 2010), with Edgar Sosa the last to do it at home (3-for-3 against Stetson on Dec. 2, 2009).
Perfect games from three in an exhibition, Louisville history (min. 3 attempts)
4-for-4 - Eric Johnson vs. Athletes in Action (12.12.98)
3-for-3 - Chris Smith vs. Pikeville (10.26.11)
- Junior Peyton Siva recorded three steals in the game, his third three-steal game in five career exhibition contests. He is averaging 2.6 steals per game for his career in exhibition play.
- Louisville held Pikeville's lone returning starter, Trevor Setty (13.6 points per game in 2010-11), to just eight points on 3-for-14 shooting in the contest. Setty did not score until the 17:18 mark of the second half, going 0-for-6 from the field prior to that.
