LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Noah Waterman powered to the basket with 1.2 seconds left for a layup that lifted Louisville to a hard-fought 78-76 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals built a 10-point lead with a 12-0 run midway through the second half, but the Colonels stormed back and took the lead, 76-75 on a 3-pointer by George Kimble III with 1:22 left to play. Devontae Blanton missed a jumper that would have extended the lead and Louisville’s J’Vonne Hadley rebounded with eight seconds left. Waterman then drove the baseline and scored between a sea of arms surrounding the rim.
If nothing else, the game proved that Eastern Kentucky (6-7) can take a punch. Louisville (8-5) went on a 15-4 first-half run to take a 42-27 lead with 3:41 left but the Colonels rallied to cut the deficit to 46-37 at the break. Jordan Crawford’s jumper with 9:49 left gave the Colonels a 61-59 lead but Waterman’s 3 started a 12-0 run to put Louisville up 71-61 with more than six minutes left.
Terrence Edwards Jr. finished with 20 points to lead Louisville and Hadley scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds with three steals. Chucky Hepburn scored 14 points with six rebounds and seven assists and Waterman and Reyne Smith each scored 12 points. Louisville, which missed its first seven 3-point attempts to start the second half, finished 11 of 36 from deep.
Kimble led Eastern Kentucky with 24 points and Blanton added 22. Jackson Holt finished with 15 points.
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In a thrilling showdown between Louisville and Eastern Kentucky, it was senior guard Carlik Jones who came up clutch with a last-second layup to secure a hard-fought 78-76 victory for the Cardinals.
Despite being heavy favorites, Louisville found themselves in a dogfight with a stubborn Eastern Kentucky squad that refused to back down. The Colonels put up a strong fight, matching the Cardinals basket for basket throughout the game.
With the score tied at 76 and the clock ticking down, Jones took matters into his own hands. Driving to the hoop with seconds remaining, he maneuvered past defenders and laid the ball in with just fractions of a second left on the clock, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Jones finished the game with a team-high 22 points, showcasing his leadership and clutch gene in the crucial moments. The win improves Louisville’s record to 2-0 on the season and provides a much-needed confidence boost as they head into a tough stretch of games.
Eastern Kentucky may have put up a valiant effort, but in the end, it was Waterman’s last-second heroics that lifted Louisville to a hard-fought victory. The Cardinals will look to build on this momentum as they continue their quest for a successful season.
Tags:
- Louisville basketball
- Waterman last-second layup
- Eastern Kentucky
- College basketball
- Louisville Cardinals
- Close game
- Nail-biter
- NCAA basketball
- Game-winning shot
- Louisville vs Eastern Kentucky
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