Louisville Blows Out Pepperdine to Snap Three-Game Losing Streak

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Squaring off against Pepperdine in the second leg of a three-game home-stand ahead of the start of conference play, the Louisville men's basketball program was finally able to get back in the win column in blowout fashion, cruising to a 85-63 victory Sunday at the KFC Yum! Center.

The Cardinals (5-6, 0-1 ACC) not only snap a three-game losing streak, but they earn their largest margin of victory under head coach Kenny Payne, and surpass their win total from last season after going 4-28 in year one under Payne.

Meanwhile, the Waves' (5-8, 0-0 WCC) lengthy losing streak in true road games now stands at 28, having last won on the road all the way back on Feb 27, 2021 at San Diego.

In the days leading up to the game, there were legitimate questions on if Kenny Payne would be on the sidelines. Following Wednesday's loss to Arkansas State and the botched handling of the Koron Davis situation, rumors regarding Payne's immediate dismissal began spreading like wildfire.

These rumors further escalated when college basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported on Thursday that athletic director Josh Heird "met with multiple Louisville players today to get their thoughts on Kenny Payne and entire situation with the program before making a decision."

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander then reported on Friday that Louisville was expected to move on from Payne "sooner rather than later," although it would be unlikely before the Pepperdine game. This wound up being the case, as Payne did indeed coach the game against the Waves.

Louisville connect on 48.5 percent of their shots, including a blazing 9-of-16 mark on three-point attempts. They also held Pepperdine to just 40.4 percent from the floor and 6-of-24 on threes, and dominated the post with a 43-27 rebounding advantage and 40 points in the paint.

The Cardinals were led by Brandon Huntley-Hatfield's second consecutive double-double, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Louisville also got double-digit scoring outings from Mike James, Curtis Williams and Tre White, as they collected 19, 16 and 10 points, respectively.

The first half against Pepperdine was one of the better halves of basketball played at home by Louisville this season. There was crisp and decisive ball movement for most of the half, the Cardinals properly used their height and length advantage down low, and they were able to finish at the rim with more consistency.

Louisville didn't waste a lot of time pulling out to a double-digit lead, using good passes and consistant shooting to go up 22-11 in the first nine minutes of the game. While their shooting cooled off in the closing minutes if the first half, their dominance on the glass and an uptick in defensive pressure kept the Waves out of striking distance, with the Cardinals heading into halftime with a 39-25 lead.

Coming out of the locker room, it was Pepperdine who had the early second half momentum. They hit five of their first eight shots of the half while holding Louisville to just two for their first nine, trimming the deficit to just seven points at the 14:22 mark.

Louisville proceeded to take over the game and never looked back. They immediately fired off a 10-0 run to maintain control, and closed the game on a 40-25 run after Pepperdine got within seven to lead by as much as 30. During this stretch, the Cardinals were 14-of-21 from the field, while the Waves were 7-of-21.

Next up, Louisville will conclude their three-game home-stand with their annual rivalry showdown with Kentucky. Tip-off against the Wildcats is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 21 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Tre White: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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