Cardinals Host Syracuse on Wednesday Night at the KFC Yum! Center

GAME 26
Date: Feb. 17, 2016
Time: 7:01 p.m.
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (96-14 in 6th yr.)
Television: ESPN Bob Wischusen, play-by-play; LaPhonso Ellis, analyst.
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (Sirius channel 81, XM 81).
Series History: Louisville leads 15-8 (7-3 in Louisville, 3-5 in Syracuse, 5-0 neutral)
Last Meeting: Syracuse 69, UL 59 (Feb. 18, 2015 at Syracuse, N.Y.)
UofL National Ranking: 13^th Associated Press
Officials: Roger Ayers, Bryan Kersey, Sean Hull
Next UofL Game: Feb. 20 vs. Duke, KFC Yum! Center, Noon ET (ESPN)

With six games remaining in its season and three left at home, Louisville returns for the first of two at home in the KFC Yum! Center this week as the Cardinals face the Syracuse Orange on Wednesday. Louisville fell 71-66 at Notre Dame last Saturday after leading by 11 points in the second half. UofL shot just 28 percent from the field in the second half at Notre Dame, its second lowest performance for a half this season.

The Cardinals are led by two players averaging double figures, Damion Lee leads the duo of top scorers with 16.5 points per game. Trey Lewis ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.2 per game. Chinanu Onuaku leads the team in rebounding with 8.4 per game while averaging 9.6 points per game. Quentin Snider also leads the team in assists with 3.6 per game while averaging 9.8 points.

As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 47.8 percent from the field while holding opponents to 38.1 percent shooting. Louisville leads the nation in scoring margin, defeating opponents by an average of 17.1 points per game. The Cards are also averaging 39.8 rebounds and 13.3 assists per game.

Syracuse (18-8, 8-5 ACC) has won five straight and eight of its last nine, including a 75-61 victory at Boston College in its last game on Feb. 14 as Tyler London led the Orange with 20 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Through Feb. 14, Syracuse is 21st in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense (.305), 25th in scoring defense (64.4) and 25th in steals per game (8.1). The Orange are second in the ACC and 35th nationally in three-point field goals per game, averaging 8.9 threes. Senior forward Michael Gbinije leads the Orange and is fourth in the ACC in scoring, averaging 17.4 points, 4.4 assists (sixth in the ACC) and 2.6 three-pointers per game (third in the ACC). Trevor Cooney is second in the ACC in threes per game (2.6). Syracuse is 40th in the RPI and 37 in Sagarin Ratings through Feb. 14.

Louisville leads 15-8 in its series with Syracuse. The Cardinals have won two of the last three matchups, but the Orange prevailed 69-59 in last year's game at Syracuse (2-18-15) as Terry Rozier led UofL with 17 points. UofL twice beat Syracuse in the championship game of the Big East Tournament (2009, 2013). Louisville F/C Chinanu Onuaku's brother Arinze played for Syracuse from 2005-10.

CARD FILE:

Louisville is seeking its 14th straight 20-win season. The Cardinals are one of four schools to have won 20 or more games each of the past 13 seasons.
Louisville's academic performance in the 2015 fall semester was impressive, with 13 of 15 men's basketball student-athletes achieving a 3.0 or better grade point average. The Cardinals posted a collective 3.36 GPA for the 2015 fall semester, just short of the team record of 3.47 achieved in 2013.
UofL leads the nation in scoring margin (+17.1), is seventh in scoring defense (60.8), eighth in field goal percentage defense (.381), 14th in rebound margin (+8.6) and 12th in offensive rebounds (14.1).
With six games remaining, Damion Lee needs 65 points to reach 2,000 for his career, including his three seasons at Drexel. Trey Lewis needs 31 points for 1,500 career points, including his time at Penn State and Cleveland State. Lee has scored in double figures in 22 of his 24 games this season while Lewis has 16 double-digit scoring efforts.
Ray Spalding has averaged 7.8 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last five games off the bench, the top scorer among the UofL bigs in that stretch.
Chinanu Onuaku was honored on the CoSIDA Academic All-District team, one of four ACC players with the recognition.

Cardinals Host Syracuse on Wednesday Night at the KFC Yum! Center

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Players Mentioned

Damion Lee

Trey Lewis

Chinanu Onuaku

Terry Rozier

Quentin Snider

University of Louisville Athletics