Watch: Kenny Payne, Louisville Players Preview Pitt

The Cardinals will stay on the road for a rematch with the Panthers.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Over the last month, the Louisville men's basketball program has been making real strides in their ability to finish games, but their season-long issues on defense came back to bite them against Boston College.

Up by eight at halftime on the road, the Cardinals completely fell apart in the second half. The Eagles fired off a 23-3 run to take control of the game, and out-scored UofL 50-30 during the period en route to handing them an 89-77 loss. BC shot 60.0 percent from the field in the second half, and 56.7 percent for the game.

Now, Louisville has a road rematch with Pitt on deck, and the they have been trending in the right direction since handing the Cards an 83-70 loss back on Jan. 6. While they lost their two games immediately after that, the Panthers head into the rematch having won six of their last seven, including a road upset at No. 21 Virginia in their last time out.

"I think the thing that gives me hope is that I see them keep fighting," head coach Kenny Payne said. "I see how hard we work in practice. I see the camaraderie with the players, how they deal with each other. I see a care factor. There are points in the game where you can see we're fighting trying to get wins. So that gives me hope."

Prior to their rematch with the Panthers, Payne, forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and forward Zan Payne took time to meet with the media. They discussed the previous game at Boston College, previewed the upcoming showdown at Pitt, and more.

Below are the videos from their press conference:

Head Coach Kenny Payne

Forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Forward Zan Payne

(Photo of Kenny Payne: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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Matthew McGavic
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