Louisville rallies in second half, posts 66-58 win over NKU in opening round of NIT Tuesday night

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

LOUISVILLE — Too many second-half turnovers and too much Deng Adel spoiled Northern Kentucky University’s first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night.

Adel netted 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as Louisville rallied to defeat NKU, 66-58, in the opening round of the NIT in front of a crowd of 9,974 at the KFC Yum! Center. The second-seeded Cardinals (21-13) battled back from a 30-23 halftime deficit and advanced to the second round against Middle Tennessee State.

NKU controlled tempo during the first half and committed just three turnovers before the break. Louisville, however, forced NKU into 11 miscues in the second half and used a game-changing 13-0 run to turn a 44-41 deficit into a 54-44 lead with 6:28 remaining.

“The 11 turnovers in the second half really hurt us,” NKU head coach John Brannen said. “I thought we played an outstanding first half. In the second half, we had some shots that just rimmed out. We had some really good looks.

“I’m really proud of our young men and the way they competed. Just didn’t take care of the ball, got a little rattled, got a little frazzled. I tried to calm them down in time out, came back and had a few more good looks. They didn’t go in and we got a little frustrated. A lot of that has to go to Louisville and their approach in the second half in terms of their pressure and their overall length and athleticism.”

Drew McDonald scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead NKU, which finished the season with a 22-10 record. It marked the 18th double-double of the season for McDonald, who also added two assists.

The seventh-seeded Norse were 5-for-28 from 3-point range and shot 34.4 percent from the field against the taller Cardinals.

“When you have that much athleticism at the rim, you have to shoot some threes,” Brannen said. “I would have preferred us to be around 21, because usually we are shooting our best percentage then, but you’re not going to beat Louisville at Louisville in the tournament 5-for-28 from three.”

Ryan McMahon added 10 points off the bench for Louisville, which shot 40 percent from the field. Adel scored the Cardinals’ first nine points of the third quarter as Louisville continued chipping away at the NKU lead.

Tyler Sharpe’s basket while being fouled and subsequent free throw gave NKU its final lead at 44-41. Louisville responded with a 13-0 run to gain a 54-44 advantage with 6:28 left and held off the Norse to win the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

“I told John (Brannen) this before the game, that is a heck of a basketball team. They are very, very well-coached, very disciplined with what they do,” Louisville head coach David Padgett said. “They play physically, they play tough and looking at their stats and watching some of their film, their defensive numbers were really, really good. It’s not fool’s gold. They’re a legitimate team and I’m not surprised they won that league, so hats off to them for a great season.”

Senior guard Lavone Holland II scored 15 points for NKU, which made its debut in the NIT a year after playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Sophomore forward Dantez Walton added six points and nine rebounds, while senior forward Jordan Garnett finished with seven points and six rebounds.

Brannen praised Holland and Garnett for what they have helped the program accomplish.

“What these seniors have done the last two years, and what our young men in that locker room have done is historic,” Brannen said. “It hasn’t happened before. To go postseason in your first two years eligible, to compete against Kentucky and Louisville and go all the way down to the end of the game in close games. We’ll build upon it.

“This will be a program that will continue to win championships, and continue to push forward, and continue to build our brand in the state of Kentucky and beyond the region. I couldn’t be more proud of the young men that locker room. They are the reason we are here.”

NKU will welcome back three starters next season. The Norse captured the Horizon League regular-season championship to earn the NIT bid after losing in the first round of the conference tournament to Cleveland State.

NORSE NOTES: The NIT is experimenting with different rules, which includes four 10-minute quarters, a 3-point arc that matches international play and a wider lane. “I don’t think the 3-point line needs to be moved back, because I don’t think anybody shoots a very high percentage,” Brannen said. “You look at the percentages, and I said that going in. The quarters were uncomfortable from a coaching standpoint. It took some time to figure out. You’ve got your media [time outs] at different times. You’ve got your substitution patterns, you look up at the clock, and you’ve got to add, because it says six minutes but it’s usually OK is that 14 minutes or whatever. So, it’s a little bit different.”…Louisville junior forward Ray Spalding hauled in 13 rebounds, blocked four shots and collected three steals…NKU finished with a 34-26 advantage in points in the paint. The Norse also outrebounded the taller Cardinals by a 42-38 count.

NKU/LOUISVILLE PHOTO GALLERY

Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport