Reaction: Louisville defense closes out Duke for ACC win

Cardinals defeated third-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Louisville men’s basketball refused to let another double-digit lead to Duke slip away, escaping Cameron Indoor Stadium with a 79-73 victory Jan. 18. The win over third-ranked Duke is Louisville’s first victory over a top-3 ranked team since 2010.

After Louisville led by 10 points at halftime, Duke tied the score several times, but Louisville always had an answer. The Cardinals protected a six-point advantage in the final four minutes as Duke cut its deficit to one point before Dwayne Sutton and Malik Williams each made a pair of free throws.

Duke trailed 71-70 with 3:25 left after a basket by Jordan Goldwire, but the Cardinals (15-3 overall, 6-1 in the ACC) held Duke scoreless for the next three minutes to seal their fourth-straight win.

Freshman Impact

After missing nearly four months recovering from shoulder surgery in July, Johnson said he hasn’t started feeling comfortable until the last several weeks. Louisville coach Chris Mack said the freshman played his best game against Pitt last Tuesday, but Johnson had an encore performance.

Johnson checked in after the first media timeout and made an instant impact. He had a transition dunk, a pass that led to a fast break dunk by Dwayne Sutton along with a strong drive and finish.

After Duke closed its deficit to five points following a 9-0 run, Johnson made a 3-pointer from the wing. The freshman scored 17 points in the first half, shooting 7 of 8 from the field and had four assists.

Mack didn’t start Johnson to begin the second half as Duke trimmed Louisville’s 10-point halftime lead to four points, but once the freshman returned, Louisville responded. He assisted a Steven Enoch 3-pointer on his first possession.

Johnson had a drive and dunk with just over four minutes left for his first points of the second half, giving Louisville a 71-65 lead. Johnson left the game with a left arm injury with three minutes remaining.

He finished with a team-high 19 points and seven assists along with three steals and two blocks.

Malik’s Moment

Malik Williams saved his best for last. The junior center finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, but made his biggest plays in the final seconds.

With Louisville leading 73-70 with 16 seconds left, Williams made two free throws to extend the lead to two possessions. After a Duke turnover, Williams had a dunk in transition to give Louisville a 77-70 with seven seconds left.

Nwora Limited

Jordan Nwora went into Cameron Indoor Stadium averaging 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and shooting 52.7 percent from the field in his last four games, but struggled against Duke. Nwora finished 3 of 12 from the field with six points, which all came on transition dunks.

Kimble Steady

Mack called Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble a steady leader for Louisville’s backcourt. The graduate transfer from Saint Joseph’s showed why in some dire moments for the Cardinals.

When Duke tied the score at 58-58 for the first time since 5-5, Kimble had Louisville’s response. The 6-foot guard scored on a pick-and-roll and was fouled, completing a three-point-play to return the lead to Louisville.

Duke once again tied the score, but Kimble answered again with a 3-pointer from the wing with just over six minutes left.

What It Means

Louisville and Florida State sit atop the ACC standings with a 6-1 record. The victory over third-ranked Duke is undoubtedly Louisville’s best win of the season.

Up Next

After three consecutive road games, Louisville returns home to host Georgia Tech Jan. 22 at the KFC Yum! Center.