The Louisville Cardinals traveled to Virginia on Saturday for an ACC showdown at John Paul Jones Arena.
Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals faced off against Virginia’s new head coach, Ron Sanchez. The Cavaliers (8-6, 1-2 in the ACC) had not lost to Louisville at home in over 30 years.
However, the Cardinals (10-5, 3-1 in the ACC) broke that streak, securing a 70-50 win. Aboubacar Traore, in his third game back, tied for the game-high with 15 points, matching Reyne Smith, who also came off the bench.
Louisville only trailed once during the game, at 7-6 in favor of Virginia. The Cardinals sparked multiple 7-0 runs throughout the contest. Though the Cavaliers mounted a few runs of their own and even trimmed the lead to two points with 16:46 remaining in the second half, it was the closest they would get. From that moment, Louisville outscored Virginia 34-16, ultimately sealing the 70-50 victory.
The Cardinals had a strong overall performance, shooting 43.9% from the field, 36.8% from three-point range, and an impressive 92.9% from the free throw line.
They dominated the rebounding battle, outrebounding Virginia 42-25, and also recorded 15 assists against just nine turnovers, giving them a solid 1.6 turnover ratio, which ranks among the top eight in college basketball.
The MVP of the game in Charlottesville was Aboubacar Traore, who contributed 15 points and eight rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench. The co-MVP honor went to Reyne Smith, who also came off the bench. Smith knocked down 5 of 10 three-pointers, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds, and two assists in 30 minutes of play.
