Bryant @ Louisville preview

Louisville recorded its first notable victory of the season last time out and looks to continue gaining confidence when it hosts struggling Bryant on Monday night. The Cardinals pulled away down the stretch to earn a 71-62 victory over Indiana at home Saturday afternoon as four players scored in double figures and 6-10 junior Ray Spalding notched his second straight double-double and fourth of the campaign.

“I don’t think we can use just one game,” Louisville interim coach David Padgett told reporters after the win. “Obviously, I don’t want to call it a feel-good win, every win feels good. But we wanted to get some momentum going.” Deng Adel registered 16 points in the victory to match his team-high scoring average, and the best sign for the Cardinals was on the other end of the floor where they limited Indiana to one field goal in the final 6:51 of the contest. “You eventually learn you can’t let your offense dictate what you do on defense,” Louisville’s 7-foot senior center Anas Mahmoud told reporters. “. … In the crucial parts, we held it down.” Bryant has lost five straight after Saturday’s 90-72 setback at Memphis and is expected to be without leading scorer Adam Grant (sprained ankle) for the second straight game.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT BRYANT (1-9): Grant, a sophomore guard averaging 15.7 points, went down after playing six minutes against Albany on Dec. 6. Sophomore guard Ikenna Ndugba (13.5 points, team-high 5.4 assists) is scoring 18 per game over the last four while freshman forward Brandon Carroll averaged 14.5 points the past two after totaling seven in the first eight contests. Senior guard Bosko Kostur (11.3 points) is the top threat from the perimeter, draining 20 of his 37 attempts from behind the arc.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (6-2): Spalding is nearly averaging a double-double (9.8 points, 9.8 boards) after hauling in a career-high 14 rebounds against Indiana, and senior guard Quentin Snider pushed his scoring average to 10 after posting 44 in the past three games. Mahmoud (8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 56.6 field goal percentage) has also raised his production level by scoring 27 and grabbing 20 boards in the past two contests. Malik Williams, a 6-11 freshman forward, stepped up with a season-high nine points on 3-of-4 shooting in 12 minutes against Indiana.

TIP-INS

1. Louisville sophomore G Ryan McMahon had four points Saturday in his first game back after missing the first seven with a rib injury.

2. Bryant freshman F Ryan Layman tops the team in rebounding (5.3) and pulled down 14 in the last two games combined.

3. The Cardinals lead the nation with 8.4 blocks per game, led by Mahmoud (30) and Spalding (18).

PREDICTION: Louisville 86, Bryant 60