Field Level Media
Feb 8, 2018
Jordan Nwora paced a balanced Louisville attack, and the Cardinals' defense smothered Georgia Tech in a 77-54 win Thursday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
Nwora came off the bench to lead four Cardinals in double figures with 16 points. Anas Mahmoud added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Ray Spalding and Malik Williams each added 11 points for Louisville (17-8, 7-5 Atlantic Coast Conference).
The Cardinals snapped a three-game slide and improved to 14-3 at home this season.
Josh Okogie scored a game-high 25 points for the Yellow Jackets (11-13, 4-7), who have lost four of five and failed to give coach Josh Pastner his 200th career win. Jose Alvarado finished with 11 points. No other Yellow Jacket scored more than six points.
Louisville's defense clamped down on the Yellow Jackets from the start. Georgia Tech had just eight points with seven minutes to go in the first half. The Yellow Jackets shot 23 percent from the field and trailed 34-16 at halftime.
Georgia Tech mounted a comeback early in the second half. Okogie converted a three-point play that trimmed the Louisville lead to 37-27 at the 16:35 mark. The Yellow Jackets would get no closer.
Spalding hit a layup, and Ryan McMahon followed with a 3-pointer to fuel a 15-2 Louisville run. Georgia Tech didn't have an answer and fell to 1-7 on the road.
The Cardinals forced 20 turnovers and got a huge lift from their bench. Louisville's reserves outscored Georgia Tech's bench 38-8 in a rout.
The Cardinals hit 12 3-pointers and shot 50 percent from the field.
The Yellow Jackets shot 36.4 percent from the floor for the game.
Louisville travels to Pittsburgh on Sunday before starting a closing five-game stretch featuring games against No. 21 North Carolina, No. 9 Duke and No. 2 Virginia.
It doesn't get any easier for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets travel to No. 9 Duke on Sunday.
--Field Level Media