CardinalSports.com - Louisville sprints past cross-town Bellarmine, 88-65

November 4, 2009

Howie Lindsey
CardinalSports.com Managing Editor

Louisville got 18 points and 14 rebounds from sophomore Samardo Samuels during an 88-65 exhibition win over Division II Bellarmine in Freedom Hall Wednesday night. The Bellarmine Knights cut the margin to nine points twice in the second half, but Louisville's depth and talent won out as they built a 26-point lead in the second half.

Bellarmine, the cross-town Division II power, visited Freedom Hall for Louisville's second exhibition game of the season. It wasn't anything like the 60-foul slugfest of Louisville's first exhibition game of the season (a sloppy affair against NAIA power Georgetown), but Rick Pitino's Cardinals still escaped a LeMoyne-Syracuse style embarassment.

Louisville jumped to a 12-3 lead in the first four and a half minutes. The Cardinals took a quick 7-0 jump-start on a 15 foot jumper by Samardo Samuels, a postmove bankshot by Terrence Jennings and a three by Preston Knowles. After a three by Bellarmine's Justin Benedetti Louisville reeled off another five quick points on a driving layup by Edgar Sosa and a lay-up and free throw by Peyton Siva.

Up by nine in the first 4:27, Louisville saw its lead dwindle to 17-11 by the 12:32 mark, but a 7-0 run comprised of a three by Reginald Delk, a long jumper by Sosa and a driving layup by Sosa put the Cardinals ahead 24-11.

UofL's lead would dip back below double digits one more time before the half, but they'd recover for a 43-30 halftime lead. Bellarmine's Benedetti led all scorers with 13 points, and Louisville was led by 12 points from Sosa and 10 from Knowles.

After Bellarmine scored the first four points of the second half to cut Louisville's lead to 43-34, the Cardinals went on a 20-11 run over the six and a half minutes that put UofL up 63-45. A three by Benedetti and a pair of free throws by Chris Dowe cut the UofL lead to 63-50, but the Cardinals scored 14 of the game's next 16 points to put the outcome completely out of doubt.

UofL's relentless defensive pressure held Bellarmine to just one field goal from the 9:02 mark to the 5:36 while Louisville racked up 14 points during the same timespan. The run included six points by Samuels and a couple of nifty passes by Siva.

Up 77-52 with 5:42 left, Louisville largely held its lead for the remainder of the game despite its defense relenting its customary fervor. UofL won 88-65 led by 18 points from Samuels, 15 from Knowles and 12 from Sosa. Benedetti's 21 points led the Knights.

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