Highlights, Photos and Notes: Louisville 85, Pepperdine 63

The highlights, photo gallery and team & player notes from the Cardinals' win vs. the Waves.

Matthew McGavic | Dec 17, 2023

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Louisville Cardinals

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Riding a three-game losing streak heading into their matchup against Pepperdine, the Louisville men's basketball program was able to snap that streak in glorious fashion, earning an 85-63 blowout win for their largest margin of victory under head coach Kenny Payne.

The Atlantic Coast Conference put together a highlight tape of the matchup, which you can see here:

Team Notes:

KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Beginning at 14:17 and elapsing 10 and a half minutes, Louisville used a 22-9 run to take control of the game with a lead of 35-18 with 3:47 to go in the half.
KEY SECOND HALF RUN: After the Waves came within seven at 45-38, Louisville went on a 18-3 run, resulting in a 63-41 lead for the Cardinals.
UofL shot 32 of 66 (48.5%) from the field, 9 of 16 (56.3%) from 3-point range, and 12 of 26 (75.0%) from the free-throw line.
The 85-63 win was the Cardinals’ largest margin of victory since defeating Southeastern Louisiana 86-60 on December 14, 2021.
The Cards won the rebound battle 43-27, their largest margin of victory in that category this season.
Louisville recorded 15+ offensive rebounds for the third time this year, with the first two instances coming vs. UMBC (20) and Chattanooga (17).
The 9 for 16 shooting from outside the arc is the first time the Cards have shot over 50% from three-point range this season.
Louisville totaled more bench points (25-13), points in the paint (40-22), and second chance points (17- 7) than Pepperdine.

Player Notes:

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield tied his career-high with a second consecutive 20-point outing on 6 for 11 from the field and 8 for 11 from the free throw line. Huntley-Hatfield snatched 12 rebounds, including six offensive boards, to add to two assists, two blocks and a team-high +36 in his 31 minutes on the floor. The forward tallied his second straight and fourth career double-double.
Mike James recorded 19 points on 7 of 14 from the floor and 3 of 4 from outside the arc. James also contributed six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 30 minutes of play.
Curtis Williams totaled a career-high 16 points on 6 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from the three-point line. Williams added one rebound, one assist and one steal to his ledger in 23 minutes of action.
Tre White rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points on 5 of 7 from the floor. White additionally had six rebounds, three assists and two steals in his 33 minutes.

Gallery:

NOTE: Photos courtesy of USA TODAY's Jamie Rhodes.

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Published Dec 17, 2023

MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic