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Louisville Basketball: Carlik Jones and David Johnson shine in Kentucky win

Louisville's Carlik Jones drives against Evansville's Shamar Givance in the first half at the KFC Yum! Center on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 79-44Cardsevansville31
Louisville's Carlik Jones drives against Evansville's Shamar Givance in the first half at the KFC Yum! Center on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 79-44Cardsevansville31

Louisville Basketball got a huge win this weekend over rival Kentucky, sending them into even more misery on the season.

In a battle to the nail, Louisville Basketball and Kentucky Wildcats went toe-to-toe in a very exciting matchup. As both teams look to take a step ahead, this was an important game for both teams to observe where they are at as a collective.

Through the course of the game, Carlik Jones and David Johnson were the backcourt mates who played sensational as always. The Wildcats defense didn’t seem to make any major adjustments to slow him down. It was a flowing game for both Jones and Johnson offensively, which was a huge part of the team’s win. With a Kentucky team in front of them still without an identity, the two used that to their advantage by breaking down their defense.

Jones was able to score the ball in bunches. The best part about his performance was how he was able to get into the teeth of the defense. On many occasions, Jones found gaps while penetrating to the basket, which allowed him to score a high percentage shot. Even with the game on the line, Jones made sure to come big with a crucial basket late in the game. He finished the game with 20 points on 7-16 shooting.

Johnson was also very efficient shooting the basketball. He got going early with a trio of three-pointers early in the first half and was a huge part in setting the tone for Louisville. He was patient on his opportunities on offense and went to work when he had the ball.

In the second half, he kept the same mentality as the first but attacked the basket more. Johnson’s ability to score and facilitate the basketball was a huge part of his 17 points and four assists.

This victory for the Cardinals continues to build momentum going forward. They are now ranked number two in the ACC with more to build upon. Even though they faced a struggling Kentucky program that’s had a rough start, the Wildcats gave them everything they had and the Cardinals had an answer for every stop.

This was a great win for Louisville going into their next game against Boston College.