Keys to victory: Louisville, Conwell defeat Cincinnati 74-64

The Louisville Cardinals rallied and finished off the Bearcats 74-64.

Going into halftime, Louisville was down 32-28, while shooting 25.9 percent from the field. They were also losing the battle on the glass, trailing Cincinnati 24-18 on the glass.

In addition to the rebound issues, the Bearcats had complete control of the paint. The Cardinals only had 6 points in the paint offensively. They were struggling to get paint touches and finish at the rim when the opportunity presented itself. The physical presence of Cincinnati was a challenge for the Cardinals in the first half.

Here is what turned the tide in Louisville’s responsive victory.

Message at half-time/Response in the second Half

During Pat Kelsey’s postgame media availability, he made it clear that he sent a message to his team at halftime.

Two guys he personally challenged were Sananda Fru and Mikel Brown Jr., both of whom got off to slow starts in the first half.

When asked about his message to Fru, he mentioned that he did some “aggressive counseling.” Overall, he challenged Fru and the rest of his team to scrap and claw in a physical battle, and they did just that.

Regarding Fru and Brown Jr., both responded, with Fru totaling 9 points and 3 rebounds, and Brown Jr. contributing 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in the second half. The freshman guard also had a pivotal 5-0 run in the second half, knocking down a three, then getting a steal and transition dunk to increase the lead from six to 11 (66-55).

Lastly, Kelsey also mentioned four principles that his team values in every contest: transition, rebounding, physicality, and toughness, and said, “We were 0-4 on those in the first half, but our guys responded. We came out in the second half, and I’d like to think we were 4-4 in the second half.”

Ryan Conwell catches fire

During the second half, Ryan Conwell took the game over offensively. He scored from all three levels and applied pressure to Cincinnati’s defense. He was the offensive catalyst for the Cardinals.  

His scoring ability doesn’t allow you to make mistakes. When Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller was asked about Conwell, he said, “when you make a mistake, he makes you pay.”

Kelsey also elaborated on Conwell, saying he was “phenomenal,” while adding the following on his approach, “You can just look at his eyes in big moments, and he has been there, done that. He’s not afraid. He stepped up in a big way for us tonight.” 

When defenders went under screens, didn’t close out hard enough, or gave him a driving lane, he took advantage of those opportunities. He finished with 25 points on 8-for-15 field goals, 5-of-10 on three-point field goals, and was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. In the second half alone, the Indianapolis native had 17 points on 6-9 shooting from the field.

Bench Play

Louisville had a variety of different contributors tonight, especially off the bench.

Adrian Wooley had arguably his best game of the season, even if the box score didn’t suggest. Kelsey added the following regarding his performance, “Even though he only scored 6 points in his 20 minutes, I thought he made huge hustle plays.”

The Kennesaw State transfer battled defensively and dove on the floor for loose balls. He also made some finishes through contact at the rim, using his strong frame to absorb and finish through defenders at the rim. He finished with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and a plus-minus of +15.

Despite Khani Rooths not having a big game in terms of counting stats, his impact and energy were felt in this game. His physicality defensively and his presence on the glass were valuable, as he snagged 5 rebounds in a highly contested battle on the boards. He also added 2 points and 1 block, with a plus-minus of +11.

In the first half, Louisville lost the rebounding battle 24-18, and regaining that edge in the second half was crucial. They won the board on the glass 23-14 after the break.

Kasean Pryor also contributed with his defensive versatility, guarding multiple positions on the floor. He was also a defensive playmaker, snatching 2 steals in only 8 minutes of play.

Louisville resumes play Nov. 23 at the KFC Yum! Center against Eastern Michigan at 7 PM ET.