Men's Basketball Hosts Savannah State on Monday Night
November 23, 2014 | Men's Basketball
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Savannah State
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (68-9 in 5th yr.)
Television: ESPN3 - Dave Weekley, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst
Radio: WKRD (790 AM)(joined in progress on WHAS, 840 AM)- Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Doug Ormay, analyst (Sirius 108, XM 193)
Series History: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: UofL 71, Savannah St. 45 (Dec. 20, 2006 in Freedom Hall)
UofL National Ranking: 8th USA Today, 7th Associated Press
Officials: Brian Dorsey, Louie Andrakakos, Ron Tyburski
Next UofL Game: Nov. 26, Cleveland State at KFC Yum! Center, Global - Sports Showcase, 7:02 p.m., (ESPNU)
Louisville plays its third of six straight home games in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face Savannah State on Monday night. It is the Cardinals' third game in the Global Sports Showcase.
The Cardinals won their 28th straight home game against non-conference opponents in an 85-67 win over Marshall on Friday as all five Cardinal starters scored in double figures. Freshman center Chinanu Onuaku had his second straight double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Terry Rozier added 17 and forward Wayne Blackshear had 16 points for the Cardinals.
Louisville has four players averaging double figures. Harrell leads the Cards in scoring with 19 points per game. Rozier ranks second on the team in scoring with 16 points per game while Chris Jones averages 13.7 points and Blackshear with 11.7. The Cardinals are solid on the boards, Mangok Mathiang leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game, while Onuaku averages 8.0 per game. Harrell is pulling down 7.3 boards per game.
Savannah State (2-2) beat Cleveland State 87-83 at home in overtime on Nov. 22, overcoming a 13-point second half deficit as Javaris Jenkins scored a career-high 33 points. Alante Feener added 16 points and a career-high six rebounds while Khalen Pinkett chipped in 10 points and three steals. Terel Hall added a career-high 10 assists.
Two players average double figures for Savannah State. Jenkins leads the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game. Saadiq Muhammad ranks second on the team in scoring with 10 points per game. Jenkins leads the team on the boards with 6.0 rebounds per game while Muhammad is second on the team with 5.8 per game.
Louisville won its only previous meeting against Savannah State, prevailing 71-45 in Freedom Hall on Dec. 20, 2006 as Juan Palacios led the Cardinals with 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
CARDINAL NOTES:
• Louisville Coach Rick Pitino is just two victories short of 700 collegiate coaching wins. He is one of five active collegiate coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (four in the ACC).
• Louisville has a 24-2 record in the month of November over the last five years.
• Louisville has averaged 21.0 rebounds from its center position over the last two games. Chinanu Onuaku and Mangok Mathiang each had 11 against Marshall, and the pair grabbed 10 each vs. Jacksonville State in the previous game.
• Former UofL All-America and NCAA Champion Darrell Griffith was inducted in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Kansas City.
• Louisville's 99 victories over the last four years are the most wins in the nation in that stretch. Louisville is the only school in the nation with three straight 30 win seasons, including a school-record 35 victories amassed by Louisville's 2012-13 NCAA Championship team (30 in 2011- 12, 31 in 2013-14).
• Last season, Louisville reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the 20th time in school history, tied for the fourth-most in the nation. Louisville, Michigan State and Florida (last four) are the only schools that have reached each of the last three Sweet 16's.
• Louisville is one of just eight schools which have won 20 or more games in each of the last 12 seasons. Three others are in the ACC (Duke, Syracuse, Pittsburgh).
