The Louisville men’s basketball team capped off its foreign trip to the Bahamas with an emphatic 111-71 exhibition victory over the University of Calgary on Thursday afternoon, marking their second win in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League.
“I sound like I’m trying to be smart when I say this, but I’m going to quote Winston Churchill right now,” head coach Pat Kelsey said postgame. “He said something about ‘this is kind of the end of the beginning.’ It’s not the end, obviously; it’s the end of the beginning. By that, I mean the last eight weeks have been a lot for our guys. They showed up on June 5th and didn’t know anybody from anybody. They worked their tails off every day in the weight room, on the court, off the court, to grow closer together and to start the year in a positive way. I couldn’t be prouder of this group for that.”
Louisville set the tone early, racing to a 12-3 lead with senior guard Chucky Hepburn and fifth-year senior forward Kasean Pryor scoring the Cardinals’ first 12 points. Pryor, in particular, was on fire, netting 10 of Louisville’s first 15 points.
The Cardinals went on an 11-0 run between 5:17 and 3:01 in the first half, stretching their lead to 26 points. By halftime, they were ahead 59-38, shooting a blistering 54.3% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc, with 13 assists on 19 field goals.
In the second half, Louisville continued to dominate, embarking on a 20-3 run between 13:57 and 9:38 to extend their lead to 42 points at 93-51. Their defense stifled Calgary, holding them without a field goal for seven minutes and allowing only four makes in the final nine minutes.
Pryor led the Cardinals with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, adding five rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He was one of five Louisville players in double figures, alongside Terrence Edwards Jr. (14), J’Vonne Hadley (13), Koren Johnson (15), and Noah Waterman (10).
The Cardinals shot 52.1% from the field, making 37 of 71 attempts, and recorded 22 assists. They dominated the boards, outrebounding Calgary 53-25, including 17 offensive rebounds.
Louisville concludes their Bahamas trip with a perfect 2-0 record in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League and will return to exhibition action in October at the KFC Yum! Center.
