Cardinals Snap Kansas’ 58-Game Home Streak
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jackson Shelstad scored 23 points, and freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. had 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in his first collegiate game as No. 11 Louisville beat No. 17 Kansas 89-83 in an exhibition on Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The loss ended Kansas’ 58-game home winning streak in exhibition games and was the Jayhawks’ first exhibition loss at Allen Fieldhouse since 1993. A crowd of 15,300 attended.
Louisville answers a slow start
Kansas jumped out to a 10-3 lead about four minutes into the game and led by seven through the first eight minutes. Louisville then scored seven straight points to tie the game at 17 with 10:30 left in the first half. Kansas led 37-36 at halftime.
The Cardinals took control after the break with a 22-10 run that included five 3-pointers and gave them a 58-47 lead. Louisville led by as many as 12 in the second half and kept Kansas at arm’s length before finishing the game at the free-throw line. Seth Trimble made four free throws in the final two minutes.
Shooting made the difference
Louisville made 14 of 30 3-pointers (46.7%), while Kansas made 7 of 24 (29.2%). The Cardinals shot 48.3% overall (29 of 60), compared with 40.8% (29 of 71) for the Jayhawks. Free-throw shooting was close, with Louisville making 17 of 27 and Kansas 18 of 27.
Kansas had its own edges. The Jayhawks outscored Louisville 40-20 in the paint and 26-8 on fast breaks, and they had 16 offensive rebounds to Louisville’s 10. But the Cardinals’ bench outscored Kansas’ reserves 35-13, and Louisville had 16 assists to Kansas’ 15. Both teams had 42 rebounds.
Standout performances
Shelstad scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half, going 5 of 7 from the floor and 3 of 4 from 3-point range after halftime. The senior guard finished 8 of 15 overall and 4 of 8 from deep, with four rebounds and three steals.
Ekezie, a freshman center, went 5 of 7 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range in 19 minutes.
Trimble, a fifth-year guard, scored 12 points in his Louisville debut. He also had seven rebounds and four assists in a team-high 34 minutes.
Álvaro Folgueiras, a senior forward, had eight points, five rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes. He made 3 of 4 shots, including two 3-pointers.
Kansas was led by guard Tre White, who scored 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting and made all five of his free throws. Melvin Council Jr. added 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. Tyran Stokes had 15 points and nine rebounds but shot 3 of 13 from the field.
Records and what’s next
Louisville won the first of its two exhibition games, and Kansas fell to 1-1 in exhibitions. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey is 4-1 in exhibition games at Louisville, and the Cardinals are 68-10 in in-season exhibition games, according to the school.
Louisville plays Mercyhurst in its final exhibition game on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the KFC Yum! Center.
Related: Louisville vs. Mercyhurst preview | Louisville Cardinals basketball | Kansas Jayhawks basketball
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