Clark scores 21 points and Louisville rallies in second half to beat Bellarmine 73-68

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- — Skyy Clark scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half and Louisville rallied in the second half for a 73-68 win over intracity opponent Bellarmine on Wednesday night.

Clark was 7-of-13 shooting with three 3-pointers. Tre White added 14 points and Mike James 10. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points for the Cardinals (4-3).

After scoring 22 points in the opening half, Louisville came back with 51 in the second on 55% shooting.

Garrett Tipton hit four three-pointers and finished with 18 points, as did Bash Wieland for Bellarmine (2-6). Alec Pfriem added 14 points. The Knights were without leading scorer Ben Johnson (13.0 ppg), out with a hip injury sustained in their previous game against West Virginia.

Louisville trailed by five at halftime and was still behind five minutes into the second half when the Cardinals went on a 16-1 run for a 12-point lead while Bellarmine started 3 of 16. The Knights then went on a 16-6 run to get within two with four minutes remaining.

A reverse dunk by Traynor was Louisville's fifth straight bucket without a miss and had the Cardinals ahead by six with 43 seconds to go.

Billy Smith's baseline 3-pointer got the Knights (2-6) within two with nine seconds left but White made a pair of free throws and that was enough.

Bellarmine beat Louisville 67-66 last year for the program’s first win over a power conference team and the Knights’ first-ever win in the series after 12 losses.

Bellarmine is at Ball State on Saturday. Louisville is at Virginia Tech for its ACC opener on Sunday.

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