Keys to victory: Bench effort leads Louisville past Eastern Michigan

After a slow start to begin the game, Louisville pulled out in front and never looked back, finishing off Eastern Michigan 87-46.

Louisville was engaged defensively throughout and received production from multiple players tonight, allowing them to pull out in front and finish the job.

Let’s look into how Louisville collectively dominated this game and which aspects of the game they controlled to prevail.

Bench Effort

Louisville got off to a sluggish start offensively, only scoring four points in the first four minutes of play. At the first media timeout, the game was tied 4-4.

What woke up the Cardinals after their initial struggles in the first half was their bench play.

Furthermore, Pat Kelsey elaborated on the role of someone on the bench and how the goal is, “to not maintain the status quo when you come in but to raise the level of play.”

During Kelsey’s opening statement, he said the following about his bench play, “I thought we got a huge boost off the bench. Khani, Aly, Adrian, and Kobe, I thought, gave us a huge boost.”

Adrian Wooley brought energy and effort at the point of attack defensively. The Kennesaw State transfer harassed ball-handlers and made them work. He forced multiple turnovers, finishing with three steals in the contest. He was also active on the glass, totaling four rebounds, with two of them being offensive.

When asked about Wooley’s performance, he said, “He’s a dog. He was all over the offensive glass, the hustle plays he was making, the 50-50 balls he was getting. He is so tough, great teammate; the guys love him.”

Kobe Rodgers was an Energizer Bunny for the Cards as well, especially as a threat in transition and defender. He applied pressure on the break, converting multiple finishes at the rim. He also set the table for teammates, getting into the teeth of the defense and finding open teammates in the process. 

His defensive activity was noticeable, as well, flying around for deflections and backtips. His constant, high-running motor can wear opponents down and can be a nuisance to deal with. Overall, he finished with eight points, four assists, two rebounds, one block, and zero turnovers. 

Additionally, Khani Rooths was efficient in his role, especially on the defensive end. While the 6-foot-10 forward was on the floor, he was tasked with defending Eastern Michigan’s most potent offensive weapon, Mohammad Habhab. He forced him into multiple difficult shots and was consistently physical with him, not allowing the forward to get to his spots on the floor. He also was effective on the defensive glass.

When asked about Rooths, he added the following about how he affects the game and his approach, “Khani’s energy, his toughness, his length, he plays so hard and physical.”

Overall, the sophomore forward finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block.

Lastly, after a tough performance against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Aly Khalifa responded well in this one. He played to his strengths and thrived as a hub offensively, finding cutters consistently and making the right reads. The redshirt senior also stretched the floor from distance, knocking down three triples. He stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.

Team Defense

Where Louisville really separated itself in this game was with its defensive intensity and execution, especially in the first half. In totality, Eastern Michigan shot 19.4 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from three. Louisville made Eastern Michigan work for all of their looks, cutting off driving lanes and consistently contesting post finishes at the rim.

Additionally, they created offense out of their defense, generating 20 points off turnovers. The team’s defensive playmaking was on full display, as the Cardinals totaled 10 blocks and six steals.

Eastern Michigan finished shooting only 28.1 percent from the field (16-57 FGs) and 13.3 percent from three (2-15 3FGs).

Isaac McKneely responds

The previous matchup with the Cincinnati Bearcats was a tough one for McKneely, as he failed to knock down his opportunities from deep and had some struggles defensively. He only finished with UC three points and missed all of his looks from the field, shooting 0-of-4 from the field and 0-of-3 from distance.

However, he got himself back on track tonight, finishing with 17 points, three rebounds, and one block. The senior guard found his flow offensively early in this one, draining multiple looks from deep. He also took full advantage of Eastern Michigan’s zone defense, spotting up both in the corners and wings, then drilling catch-and-shoot opportunities from deep. Overall, he was 5-9 from three in the contest.

The Louisville Cardinals will face NJIT next on Wednesday, November 26th at 9pm ET.