Men's Basketball Hosts Cleveland State on Wednesday Night
November 25, 2014 | Men's Basketball
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Cleveland State
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (69-9 in 5th yr.)
Television: ESPN3 - Jim Barbar, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst
Radio: WHAS (840 AM)- Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Doug Ormay, analyst (Sirius 92)
Series History: Louisville leads 4-0 (4-0 in Louisville)
Last Meeting: UofL 95, Cleveland St. 80 (Dec. 19, 1990 in Freedom Hall)
UofL National Ranking: 5th USA Today, 6th Associated Press
Officials: Mike Eades, Anthony Franklin, Tim Comer
Next UofL Game: Dec. 2, Ohio State at KFC Yum! ACC/Big Ten Challenge, 9:30 p.m., (ESPN)
Game Notes vs. Cleveland State
Louisville plays its fourth of six straight home games in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face Cleveland State on Wednesday night. It will be the Cardinals' third game in six days. It will also be the Cardinals' fourth and final game in the Global Sports Showcase, a five-team, round-robin event.
UofL beat Savannah State 87-26 on Monday, the fewest points for a Cardinal opponent in 66 years (since 1947). Six Cards scored at least nine points in the game. Montrezl Harrel led all scorers with 15 points, Wayne Blackshear finished with 13 for the Cards.
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 18 points per game. Rozier ranks second on the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game while Chris Jones averages 12.5 points and Blackshear with 12.0. The Cardinals are solid on the boards, Chinanu Onuaku leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game while Mangok Mathiang and Harrell rank second with 7.8 rebounds. Cleveland State (2-2) fell 87-83 in overtime at Savannah State on Nov. 22 after leading by 13 in the second half. Guard Trey Lewis totaled 27 points and six steals for the Vikings in the loss.
Four players average double figures for Cleveland State. Lewis leads the team in scoring with 16.0 points per game. Anton Grady ranks second on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game while Marlin Mason is averaging 13.5 points. Grady leads the team on the boards with 6.8 rebounds per game while Mason is second on the team with 6.2 per game.
Louisville has won all four of its previous meetings against Cleveland State, including prevailing 95-80 in Freedom Hall on Dec. 19, 1990 in the last matchup as Cornelius Holden totaled 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cardinals.
CARDINAL NOTES:
• Louisville Coach Rick Pitino is just one victory 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 25-2 record in the month of November over the last five years.
• Louisville has averaged 19.0 rebounds from its center position over the last three games. Chinanu Onuaku and Mangok Mathiang each had 11 against Marshall, and the pair grabbed 10 each vs. Jacksonville State in the previous game.
• Louisville is seeking its 27th regular season tournament title on Wednesday. UofL has won their first three games in the four-team, round-robin Global Sports Showcase and would be the only unbeaten team with a win over Cleveland State.
• Louisville's 100 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.
• 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.
• Former UofL All-America and NCAA Champion Darrell Griffith was inducted in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Kansas City.
