U of L beats FIU with sharp shooting
They may have been fleeting, but two early second-half possessions gave University of Louisville basketball fans a glimpse of what their team can look like when its offense is in rhythm.
On one trip, passes zipped side to side, dribblers drove and kicked and, eventually, Wayne Blackshear swished a wide-open 3-pointer. Two possessions later, Anton Gill bagged a 3-pointer off another pass-heavy possession.
They were moments of basketball beauty, and they were exactly what U of L coach Rick Pitino has wanted to see from his team all season.
They also helped beautify Louisville's otherwise ugly 82-57 win over Florida International at the KFC Yum! Center on Friday night.
"We did some good things tonight," Pitino said. "The thing that's missing from this basketball team – and why they can't go from good to very good – is turnovers. We tried to make some passes … but our turnovers are the reason we're not scoring more (or) playing better."
Louisville's win came the same way the first six victories came, with caveats.
Yes, U of L lost 20 turnovers, including 13 in the first half. Yes, Louisville struggled from the free-throw line again, shooting 66.7 percent as a team. And yes, the Cardinals' stifling defense overwhelmed their opponent.
But this time, the Cardinals hit their shots, too, and they hit them in bunches. U of L shot 57 percent from the field, the highest number the Cards have posted this season.
"We got the shots that we wanted," senior Wayne Blackshear said. "(Anton Gill) was hot. He knocked down some shots. (Chris Jones) got into a flow, too."
A sluggish start saw FIU (5-4) take an early 10-6 lead – and FIU's first bucket ended Louisville's stretch of 148 minutes and 42 seconds of game action without trailing.
But U of L buried the Panthers shortly thereafter, scoring in waves and turning FIU over in droves.
The Cardinals zoomed into control with an 18-0 run and padded their lead with 11-0 and 8-0 runs in the second half. In its seven games this season, U of L has produced 19 runs of 8-0 or better.
"We didn't handle their pressure well once they wrapped it up a little bit," FIU coach Anthony Evans said. "They picked it up and we never adjusted."
FIU kept hustling – there would be no Savannah State experience on Friday – but Louisville brought in its bench players and still cruised to its sixth double-digit win of the season.
Montrezl Harrell (13 points, 12 rebounds) notched his third double-double of this young season. Gill scored a career-high 15 points and Chris Jones made 3 of 6 from the field and added 11 points.
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Terry Rozier and Wayne Blackshear each had 12 points, and Chinanu Onuaku (seven points, five assists, three blocks) had another solid game at center.
But Harrell and Jones, like several of their teammates, fell victim to the turnover bug. The 6-foot-8 All-American lost five turnovers and was one of five Cardinals with two or more giveaways.
At one point in the first half, with his most halting yell, Pitino shouted, "Stop turning it over."
"It's just very poor passing, poor ball fakes, poor pivots," Pitino said. "Guys are open and they're trying to force it.
"This team hunts points, and that is why they don't look as good as the past three years."
One thing that does look awfully similar to previous U of L teams, though, is this group's defense. The Cardinals forced 25 turnovers and limited FIU to 37-percent shooting.
That's what's carried Louisville to its seven wins. And on Friday, the Cards got their shooting stroke back.
As for the turnovers ...
"We're just playing good basketball, (not very good)," Pitino said. "This team is nowhere near the last three years because of their turnovers. That is our weakness and we have to work on that."
Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).
