El Ellis' Clutch Second Half Sparks Louisville Victory Over Pitt

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Heading into their matchup, Louisville and Pitt were programs trending in relatively opposite directions. For all their flaws, the Cardinals had opened up ACC play with three consecutive victories and were regarded as a top five team in the league, whereas the Panthers kicked of conference play with two straight losses and were arguably the worst team in the high-major college basketball.

Louisville entered the game as a 12.5-point favorite over Pitt, but the Cardinals very much found themselves in a rock fight with the Panthers at the KFC Yum! Center on Wednesday night.

Poor shooting on both sides and constant whistles from the refs marred the first half of play, with Louisville holding a slight edge over Pitt at halftime. If the Cardinals were to put any sort of distance between them and the Panthers and stave off another embarrassing home loss, someone would have to step up.

Cue El Ellis.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard had a quiet first half, only putting up four points, but then exploded after halftime. He poured in 14 second half points, shooting 5-8 from the field, 2-4 on three-point attempts and 2-4 on free throws. He was 6-10 from the field overall, and was the driving factor in Louisville escaping with a 75-72 victory.

"I thought El (Ellis) was just excited to play and played well," head coach Chris Mack said. "He's a good player and played with a lot of confidence tonight."

The JUCO transfer made things happen all over the court. He was able to use his high level of burst and athleticism to not only get inside the lane, but finish string around the rim. He also extended the Pitt defense with a couple midrange shots and three-pointers.

He also scored when it mattered most. With Louisville trailing by one with roughly five minutes to go, Ellis went on a 7-2 run by himself. Hitting a go-ahead three, a midrange jumper, and going 2-2 at the free throw line with 2:15 left.

A performance such as this was no accident. Earlier that day, Mack had an hour-long conversation with Ellis about his role on the team. Over the previous two games, Ellis had scored just one point, and Mack told him that he had to "do some things better" in order to earn a more meaningful spot in the rotation.

"I said you just have to make the most of your time," Mack said. "You have to be better defensively and have to make really good decisions on the offensive end. We know that he is explosive and can score. But he has been errant in other ways."

Ellis' play style is reminiscent of former All-American Russ Smith, but both the good and the bad apply here. He can do things that no one else on the team can - such as the acrobatic layups and shooting prowess - but he is also prone to bad decisions. He currently has 22 turnovers to 20 assists on the year.

But, Ellis took his conversation with Mack to heart.

"I just got to come in with the right attitude every day, and I know I've got a lot to learn," Ellis said when asked what he took away from the conversation. "It's my first year playing at this level, and it's hard. So I just got to just continue to do better each and every day, and it starts in practice."

(Photo of Jamarcus Burton, El Ellis: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter

Add us as a preferred source on Google