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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville coach Denny Crum couldn't help
but smile as he analyzed the box score.
"When you have 22 assists, you're getting the ball to the open man and getting some good shots. That's the first thing I look
at," Crum said following his squad's 82-69 victory Thursday night
over No. 4 Syracuse.
|  | | Syracuse's Preston Shumpert battles Louisville's Dion Edward for a rebound. |
"We went for a long stretch in the last few weeks with only 12 or 14 assists. Twenty-two tickles me to death."
Tony Williams scored 20 points and Marques Maybin added 16 as the Cardinals (13-9) shot 58 percent from the field to hand the Orangemen their second straight loss after opening the season with 19 wins.
Williams added eight rebounds and four assists and freshman
point guard Reece Gaines had 10 points, six assists and five
rebounds for the Cardinals.
The victory also was Louisville's fourth over a ranked opponent.
Top-ranked Cincinnati is the only ranked team to beat the Cardinals this season.
"The guys were confident and I was confident," Williams said.
"I told the guys on the bus at Memphis that these guys were
vulnerable.
"They just caught us on a night that we were playing well. We
were communicating and passing the ball well."
Jason Hart scored 16 points to lead Syracuse (19-2), which
suffered its first loss Monday night to Big East rival Seton Hall.
Etan Thomas had 12 points and nine rebounds and Ryan Blackwell
added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Orangemen.
Louisville made 34 of 59 shots and got outrebounded by only one,
36-35, by the much taller and more physical Orangemen. Syracuse
shot only 43 percent, making 5 of 19 3-pointers and only 8 of 17
free throws.
"We're not playing with the energy we were before," Syracuse
coach Jim Boeheim said. "Louisville took advantage of that and
beat us down the floor. We have a size advantage but we aren't
taking advantage of it.
"When a team shoots this well, you have to give them credit.
But the defense also has to take some of the blame. We just have to
play better, and I think we will."
Leading 32-24, a putback by Williams and a layup by Gaines
forced a Syracuse timeout with 6:53 to play in the first half. Nate
Johnson's three-point play with 53 seconds remaining gave the
Cardinals a 46-36 halftime lead.
Louisville shot 61 percent in the first half and outrebounded
the Orangemen 18-15.
"We knew we had to rebound and stressed that before the game,"
said Louisville center Dion Edward, who finished with nine
rebounds. "We thought we could beat this team if we played our
game."
The Cardinals led 64-52 with 10 minutes to play. An 8-0 Syracuse
run, capped by a thunderous dunk by Thomas, cut the margin to four
points with 5:26 to play.
But a 3-pointer by Gaines and a jumper by Edward put the
Cardinals back up by nine and dashed any hopes of a Syracuse
comeback.
"We did a good job coming back but then they made that three to
push the lead back to seven," Boeheim said. "That was the key
shot of the game. That made it really tough the rest of the way."
Louisville hit five of six free throws over the final 1:30 to
preserve the victory.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Syracuse Clubhouse
Louisville Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marques Maybin uses the pump fake to get the basket and the foul.
avi: 598 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Deshaun Williams dishes to Etan Thomas in the paint.
avi: 673 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Louisville works the ball inside to Dion Edward.
avi: 759 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jason Hart breaks down the Louisville defense.
avi: 563 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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