68 - 58 The Cards will not finish conference play without a victory.
Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the first time in ACC play and the first time in 2023, the Louisville men’s basketball team has tasted victory.
Jae’Lyn Withers scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Cardinals snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 68-58 win over Georgia Tech Wednesday night inside the KFC Yum Center. The victory extended the Yellow Jackets’ losing streak to eight games, and, at 1-11, moved them a half game behind U of L and into last place in the ACC standings.
You don’t want us in that 11/14 ACC tournament Tuesday game.
El Ellis (11), Kamari Lands (11) and JJ Traynor (10), who made a massive three in the game’s final minutes, joined Withers as double figure scorers.
Louisville’s turnover problems reared their head again, as the Cards gave the ball away 15 times to Georgia Tech’s five. The Yellow Jackets, however, were only able to generate six points off of those 15 giveaways. Josh Pastner’s team shot an abysmal 29.5 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three. They’ve now lost six consecutive games by double figures.
With the win, Louisville is now 11-1 against Georgia Tech since joining the ACC in 2014-15. The Cardinals have not been beaten at home by the Yellow Jackets since 1992.
Does this change anything big picture wise? No, but it does save this team from being lumped into any future conversations about “power conference teams that failed to win a conference game,” and (perhaps) future conversations about the worst power conference team in history. It may not be the type of win were used to seeing this late in a season, but it’s the win we have.
Also, Kenny Payne is undefeated in February.
