Louisville Bounces Back, Defeats Coppin State

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It might not have been the most efficient outing, but a win is still a win.

Capping off a three-game home-stand to tip-off the 2023-24 season, the Louisville men's basketball program was able to rebound from their first loss of the season to Chattanooga last Friday, taking down Coppin State 61-41 Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center.

Coming in as a 17-point favorite, Louisville secures their first win and cover under head coach Kenny Payne, and their first overall since a 67-54 win over Boston College back on Jan. 19, 2022.

Despite facing a squad that was regarded as the third-worst team in Division I by KenPom, the Cardinals (2-1, 0-0 ACC) still had stretches where they struggled to get going on either end of the floor. They finished the game shooting just 39.3 percent from the field and 6-of-21 on three-point attempts. Defensively, the Eagles (0-4, 0-0 MEAC) were just 28.1 percent from the floor and 3-of-17 on threes, but this was mainly due to missing a high amount of high percentage shots.

Unlike the previous two games, Louisville was able to win the rebounding battle handily at 45-33. However, like the prior two games, they did struggle with ball handling and movement, committing 15 turnovers to just seven assists.

Three Cardinals finished in double figures, led by a team-high 12 points from Mike James. Skyy Clark and Tre White poured in 10 points, with the latter also hauling in 12 rebounds for his first career collegiate double-double.

In the first half, Louisville was incredibly streaky with their shooting, thanks in part to a lack of ball movement and bad shot selection. They opened the game by missing their first four shots, connected on six of their next eight, missed eight in a row, then closed the first half by hitting five of their last 10 shots before halftime.

While Louisville did "hold" Coppin State to just 9-of-29 shooting from the field in the first half, this was mostly due to poor execution on behalf of the Eagles. They routinely missed driving layups and wide open three-point shots, allowing the Cardinals to hold onto a 32-21 advantage at the half.

While there were still some lapses, and Coppin State continued to not do themselves any favors with their own play, Louisville did play much better on both ends of the court in the second half. During this period, the Cardinals were 11-of-27 from the field while the Eagles were 7-of-28, including stretches of eight-, seven- and five-straight misses by CSU.

Next up, Louisville will head to Madison Square Garden in New York City to face Texas in their first of two games in the Empire Classic. Tip-off against the Longhorns is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 19 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Curtis Williams: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

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