The University of Louisville basketball team knew going to Western Kentucky wasn’t going to be easy. What they didn’t know was that Montrezl Harrell would get bounced around in a scramble, lose his cool, starting swinging punches, get ejected and not be available the second half.
Strange that no one else was ejected, with all the pushing and shoving during the scuffle. Replays show him getting forceably knocked around by one or more Western Kentucky players. His alleged punch actually landing on no one, but one of his elbows finding an official.
Up until the skirmish, Harrell had scored 14 points, grabbed two assists, and made two assists when he was sent to the locker room with 38 seconds to go. The indispensable force suddenly unavailable, shifting the playing field, visions of nightmares from previous games against Western Kentucky quickly emerging. How would the Cardinals cope without him?
His absence would push other players to the forefront, forcing them to adapt quickly, assuming new roles, testing their collective mettle and responding positively to the shocking change of circumstance.
Terry Rozier, who has shown flashes for the past two seasons, would lead the way. Playing largely in the shadows of Harrell and Russ Smith during his freshman season, Rozier embraced his leadership role, making the shots Louisville had to have in the second half, hitting six of his nine shots, including three three-pointers, and 11 of 11 free throw attempts in final 20 minutes. He would wind up with a total of 32 points for the game.
Anas Mahmoud, after seeing no minutes in the previous game, would play almost the entire second half, providing some surprising dexterity at times and a calmness rarely seen in a freshman. A force around the basket, he would alter numerous shots and block two of them while collecting three rebounds in the second half, scoring all six of his points when UofL needed them the most.
UofL’s assist total went from six to 11 from the UNC Wilmington game to this one, suggesting that there’s still too much one-on-one action. The most obvious example was Harrell wanting to become a long-range shooter, falling short on five of 10 field goal attempts during his abbreviated action. He gets carried away at times, looking to the next level, costing his team.
Wayne Blackshear, who could have benefitted from some assists, is apparently so unimposing on the wing that his teammates overlook him too often, He would make only one in seven field goal attempts but would grab five rebounds and make three assists.
The game evidence enough that Western Kentucky still considers itself to be a rival. The Cardinals prevailing 76-67, finally tieing the series at 39-39 after a quarter of a century, winning 23 of the past 26 games against the Hilltoppers.
Harrell would apologize after the game for “embarrassing” his team and university.
Source: TheCrunchZone.com
Anything was possible in that melee.
Some are claiming a WKU player punched Harrell in the nuts. Any truth to this?