At Syracuse, Louisville loses a heartbreaking 94–92.
A mistaken goaltending call in the final moments became the decisive factor in Louisville’s heartbreaking 94-92 loss to Syracuse on Wednesday night.
The officiating crew erroneously upheld an inaccurate goaltending call against Kaleb Glenn, giving Louisville 3.8 seconds to attempt an upset. Despite a clear three-point attempt by Skyy Clark just before the buzzer, the potential game-winner missed the rim entirely.
Overlooking the fact that every Louisville player was caught off guard, leading to Syracuse’s opportunity, and that the goaltend call denied a potential putback dunk, the Cardinals faced a loss primarily attributed to their defensive struggles.
Syracuse capitalized on Louisville’s defensive lapses, shooting an impressive 60.8 percent from the field and making 10-of-22 three-pointers. Louisville, in contrast, was outscored 22-11 at the free-throw line. Despite a strong offensive performance with a 53.8 percent field goal shooting and 11-of-25 from beyond the arc, the defensive deficiencies proved costly.
Skyy Clark led four Cardinals in double figures with 23 points, contributing five assists and three steals. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (19 points and 13 rebounds) and Tre White (17 points and 12 rebounds) recorded double-doubles.
Syracuse’s sophomore guard Chris Bell delivered a career-high 30 points, making 8-of-10 three-pointers, while leading scorer Judah Mintz added 21 points.
Despite the entertaining nature of the game with both teams showcasing exceptional offensive prowess and a lack of defensive focus, the recurring theme for Louisville throughout the season has been their inability to defend. The game highlighted that while Louisville possesses the talent to be a formidable basketball team, their defensive shortcomings need addressing for more favorable outcomes in the future.
