LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Donovan Mitchell and Deng Adel led the way for the Louisville men’s college basketball team to top Bellarmine University 81-60 in an exhibition game Monday night in the KFC Yum! Center.
The forwards scored 13 points apiece in the win for the 13th-ranked Cardinals, with Mitchell going 4 of 6 from the field, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range and Adel shooting 5 of 9 from the floor.
Monday night’s game was Louisville’s final preseason outing before Friday’s regular season opener against Evansville at the KFC Yum! Center at 7:00 p.m.
Tony Hicks scored 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting, Quentin Snider made three 3-pointers on his way to scoring 11 points and a team-high four assists, while Jaylen Johnson grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and added six points in the win.
The Cardinals shot 31 of 65 for 47.7 percent from the floor overall and 47.4 percent from long-range.
George Knott finished with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting with two 3-pointers and four rebounds and Adam Eberhard added 12 points and 6 of 14 shooting and five boards for Bellarmine.
Rusty Troutman had nine points and nine rebounds and Al Davis chipped in with seven points, seven assists and six boards in the defeat for the Knights, who used a 20-6 run midway through the second half to frighten the hosts.
Bellarmine, which shot 54.3 percent in the second half, was 43.1 percent from the field overall and 40 percent from behind the arc.
Louisville shot 52.9 percent from the floor in the first half and although head coach Rick Pitino was happy with that, he hopes his team can put together two halves of basketball during the season.
“If we could duplicate the first half we could be a pretty good basketball team,” Pitino said.
“If we can put together two halves like the first half, we’ll be a pretty good basketball team, but we didn’t and it’s a credit to Bellarmine fighting and fighting and fighting.
“They’re a good group, they’re working very hard. We’re still adjusting to a new style. We’re not in the greatest run-and-press shape, but hopefully we’ll get there.”
