Louisville's Upset Bid at Miami Falls Short Despite Ellis' Career Night

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Four days removed from posting their worst loss of the season, the Louisville men's basketball program nearly pulled off a massive road upset against No. 19 Miami, falling 93-85 Saturday at the Watsco Center.

The Cardinals (3-22, 1-13 ACC) entered their matchup with the Hurricanes (20-5, 11-4 ACC) as a 20.5-point underdog, but their bid for an upset was fueled primarily by an outstanding effort from El Ellis. The senior guard scored a career-high 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, while also tallying five assists.

Ellis paced an offense that shot a blazing 57.9 percent from the field and 10-of-23 on three-point attempts. Jae'Lyn Withers and Kamari Lands also broke double figures for the Cardinals, scoring 18 and 13 points, respectively.

But on the other end of the floor, their defense faltered. Four Canes finished in double figures and three with 20-plus, as Miami still shot 53.4 percent for the game and 8-of-20 on threes, while also making 23 trips to the free throw line for 27 makes. Conversely, Louisville was just 9-of-11 from the line.

As it has all season, turnovers played a huge role. Louisville committed twice as many turnovers as Miami with 12, resulting in 20 Canes points on the other end.

Right out of the gates, it seemed like Miami was going to hand Louisville yet another blowout loss. In the first two-plus minutes of the game, the Canes shot 4-5 while the Cardinals missed the first two shot attempts, giving Miami an early 10-0 cushion to work with.

However, Louisville did not roll over and quit. They instead responded with some of the most efficient offense they have displayed all season, moving the ball well, taking open shots in rhythm, and doing so consistently. While their defense still let Miami shoot 58.1 percent from the field for the half, they shot a tick better at 58.6 percent thanks mainly to Ellis, even briefly taking a late lead before the Canes seized a 42-41 advantage at the half.

Miami used a quick 8-2 burst out of the locker room to put a small bit of distance between them and their visitors, and it proved to be just enough for Louisville. The Cardinals remained in striking distance for the entire second half, even getting as close as four points with under four minutes to go, but could not put together a run that could overcome the Canes.

Louisville shot 57.1 percent in the second half to Miami's 48.1 percent, but this was negated by a massive second half free throw discrepancy. The Canes were 21-of-25 at the charity stripe in the second half alone, whereas the Cardinals took just nine attempts in the second half.

Next up, Louisville will return home to the KFC Yum! Center for a matchup against Virginia. Tip-off against the Cavaliers is set for Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of El Ellis: Rich Storry - USA TODAY Sports)

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