Louisville gets first win of season behind Ellis' 30 points
AP
Dec 14, 2022
Louisville Cardinals, Ky. (AP) El Ellis had career highs of 30 points and 10 assists and Louisville finally won after opening the season with nine losses, beating Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 94-83 on Wednesday night to give Kenny Payne his first win as a head coach.
The Cardinals' nine losses were the most to start a season in Atlantic Coast Conference history and completely foreign for a program ranked in the top 15 all-time in winning percentage with eight Final Four appearances and 39 overall in the NCAA Tournament. They've had winning seasons in 73 of the last 77 years.
''Loved the way we finally played, with toughness and energy and confidence,'' Payne said. ''I just told the guys this: What did it smell like? What does it feel like? What does it taste like? Because winning one, imagine what it's like to win 80 and 90% of your games. You've got to sacrifice your life to it.
''So hopefully this is a stepping stone that they greatly needed because they put in a lot of work. But we have to build on this game and continue the momentum going and get over the schneid. You know, they deserve it. They worked really hard, harder than I can tell you. They're good kids. It's all about them.''
Louisville ended the skid behind 52% shooting from the arc, hitting 13 of 25, after coming in making 29%. That long-distance accuracy came against a Hilltoppers team (8-2) ranked second in the nation at 43% from distance but was 9 of 26 this night for 35%.
Ellis shot 10 of 19 and made four 3-pointers in posting his first career double-double. Kamari Lands added a career-high 15 points, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield had 11 and Sydney Curry and Jae'Lyn Withers 10 apiece.
Dayvion McKnight scored 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting to lead WKU, which had a five-game winning streak snapped. Jairus Hamilton added 20 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double this season.
Louisville maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half, leading by as many as 20. WKU got within 10 three times in the final three minutes, but Louisville hit all 10 of its free throws in that span.
Ellis surpassed his season scoring average of 15.6 by halftime with 17 points and Louisville took a 46-35 lead on JJ Traynor's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Cardinals made five straight shots to start a 19-7 run that included three 3-pointers by Ellis for a 26-22 lead with seven minutes left in the half and they led the rest of the way.
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1st Half
WKU
Hilltoppers
35
LOU
Cardinals
46
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Hilltoppers gains possession)
19:47
Luke Frampton misses three point jump shot
19:45
Jairus Hamilton offensive rebound
19:34
+3
Emmanuel Akot makes three point jump shot
3-0
19:20
El Ellis misses three point jump shot
19:18
Jae'Lyn Withers offensive rebound
19:16
Dayvion McKnight personal foul
19:16
Emmanuel Akot technical foul
19:16
Jae'Lyn Withers technical foul
19:16
Jae'Lyn Withers turnover
19:14
Jae'Lyn Withers offensive foul (Emmanuel Akot draws the foul)
19:14
Jae'Lyn Withers turnover (offensive foul)
18:58
Emmanuel Akot misses two point jump shot
18:56
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield defensive rebound
18:39
El Ellis turnover (bad pass)
18:30
Jairus Hamilton misses three point jump shot
18:28
Mike James defensive rebound
18:10
+3
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes three point jump shot (Mike James assists)
3-3
17:46
Luke Frampton misses three point jump shot
17:44
Kamari Lands defensive rebound
17:19
+2
Sydney Curry makes two point jump shot
3-5
16:57
+2
Dayvion McKnight makes two point layup (Emmanuel Akot assists)
5-5
16:33
Kamari Lands misses three point jump shot
16:31
Jamarion Sharp defensive rebound
16:22
Luke Frampton misses two point layup
16:20
Mike James defensive rebound
16:12
Jairus Hamilton personal foul (Brandon Huntley-Hatfield draws the foul)
15:51
Kamari Lands misses two point jump shot
15:49
Jairus Hamilton defensive rebound
15:41
+2
Dayvion McKnight makes two point jump shot
7-5
15:19
+2
El Ellis makes two point jump shot
7-7
15:07
TV timeout
14:58
+2
Jairus Hamilton makes two point layup (Luke Frampton assists)
9-7
14:28
Jairus Hamilton blocks El Ellis's two point jump shot
14:26
Jamarion Sharp defensive rebound
14:19
Mike James shooting foul (Jairus Hamilton draws the foul)
14:19
+1
Jairus Hamilton makes regular free throw 1 of 2
10-7
14:19
+1
Jairus Hamilton makes regular free throw 2 of 2
11-7
13:58
Jamarion Sharp blocks Kamari Lands's two point jump shot
13:56
Jamarion Sharp defensive rebound
13:45
+2
Dayvion McKnight makes two point layup
13-7
13:31
Jamarion Sharp blocks Brandon Huntley-Hatfield's two point jump shot
13:29
Emmanuel Akot defensive rebound
13:21
+2
Jamarion Sharp makes two point dunk (Jairus Hamilton assists)
15-7
13:00
Mike James misses two point jump shot
12:58
Jamarion Sharp defensive rebound
12:58
Jamarion Sharp turnover (lost ball)
12:53
+3
El Ellis makes three point jump shot (Kamari Lands assists)
15-10
12:31
Khristian Lander misses three point jump shot
12:29
Jordan Rawls offensive rebound
12:22
Jordan Rawls misses two point jump shot
12:20
Khristian Lander offensive rebound
12:21
Khristian Lander misses two point layup
12:19
Kamari Lands defensive rebound
12:21
El Ellis offensive foul
12:21
El Ellis turnover (offensive foul)
12:01
+3
Luke Frampton makes three point jump shot (Jordan Rawls assists)
18-10
11:44
Khristian Lander personal foul
11:44
TV timeout
11:32
+2
Jae'Lyn Withers makes two point jump shot
18-12
11:17
Fallou Diagne turnover (lost ball)
11:10
+2
Fabio Basili makes two point layup (El Ellis assists)
18-14
10:51
+2
Tyrone Marshall makes two point dunk (Fallou Diagne assists)
20-14
10:37
Khristian Lander personal foul (El Ellis draws the foul)
10:37
Fabio Basili turnover (bad pass)
10:24
Khristian Lander turnover (bad pass)
10:16
+2
Fabio Basili makes two point layup
20-16
10:07
Khristian Lander misses three point jump shot
10:05
Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound
9:55
Fallou Diagne shooting foul (El Ellis draws the foul)
9:55
+1
El Ellis makes regular free throw 1 of 2
20-17
9:55
+1
El Ellis makes regular free throw 2 of 2
20-18
9:30
Jordan Rawls turnover (bad pass) (JJ Traynor steals)
9:23
+3
El Ellis makes three point jump shot
20-21
9:12
Official timeout
8:54
Dayvion McKnight misses three point jump shot
8:52
Jairus Hamilton offensive rebound
8:49
Jairus Hamilton turnover (out of bounds)
8:33
Fabio Basili misses three point jump shot
8:31
Jamarion Sharp defensive rebound
8:25
+2
Dayvion McKnight makes two point layup
22-21
8:02
+3
El Ellis makes three point jump shot
22-24
7:52
Emmanuel Akot misses three point jump shot
7:50
Jamarion Sharp offensive rebound
7:50
Mike James personal foul
7:50
TV timeout
7:44
Dayvion McKnight misses two point jump shot
7:42
El Ellis defensive rebound
7:31
JJ Traynor misses three point jump shot
7:29
Sydney Curry offensive rebound
7:23
Sydney Curry misses two point layup
7:21
Emmanuel Akot defensive rebound
7:21
Dayvion McKnight turnover (bad pass)
7:03
+2
Fabio Basili makes two point layup (Sydney Curry assists)
22-26
6:54
Luke Frampton misses three point jump shot
6:52
Jamarion Sharp offensive rebound
6:49
Fabio Basili shooting foul (Dayvion McKnight draws the foul)
6:49
+1
Dayvion McKnight makes regular free throw 1 of 2
23-26
6:49
+1
Dayvion McKnight makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-26
6:43
Dayvion McKnight personal foul (Kamari Lands draws the foul)
6:43
+1
Kamari Lands makes regular free throw 1 of 2
24-27
6:43
+1
Kamari Lands makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-28
6:30
JJ Traynor blocks Jairus Hamilton's two point layup
6:28
Jairus Hamilton offensive rebound
6:17
Jairus Hamilton misses two point jump shot
6:15
El Ellis defensive rebound
6:06
Jamarion Sharp shooting foul (Sydney Curry draws the foul)
6:06
+1
Sydney Curry makes regular free throw 1 of 2
24-29
6:06
+1
Sydney Curry makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-30
5:54
+3
Luke Frampton makes three point jump shot (Jordan Rawls assists)
27-30
5:37
El Ellis misses three point jump shot
5:35
Jairus Hamilton defensive rebound
5:28
Fabio Basili shooting foul (Jordan Rawls draws the foul)
5:28
+1
Jordan Rawls makes regular free throw 1 of 2
28-30
5:28
Jordan Rawls misses regular free throw 2 of 2
5:28
JJ Traynor defensive rebound
4:59
El Ellis misses two point jump shot
4:57
Jamarion Sharp defensive rebound
4:51
Fabio Basili personal foul (Emmanuel Akot draws the foul)
4:51
Emmanuel Akot misses regular free throw 1 of 1
4:51
JJ Traynor defensive rebound
4:33
+3
JJ Traynor makes three point jump shot (El Ellis assists)
28-33
4:10
Jairus Hamilton misses three point jump shot
4:08
Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound
3:50
JJ Traynor misses three point jump shot
3:48
Luke Frampton defensive rebound
3:41
+2
Emmanuel Akot makes two point jump shot
30-33
3:17
+2
El Ellis makes two point jump shot (Jae'Lyn Withers assists)
30-35
2:58
Jordan Rawls turnover (bad pass) (JJ Traynor steals)
2:52
Kamari Lands misses three point jump shot
2:50
Emmanuel Akot defensive rebound
2:32
+3
Jairus Hamilton makes three point jump shot (Emmanuel Akot assists)
