Kentucky Wesleyan College utilized a team effort on Monday night to upset Louisville 71-68 in an exhibition game at the KFC Yum Center. The Panthers went 6-6 from the foul line in the final 15 seconds, with 4 free throws coming from Kaeveon Mitchell down the stretch.
The Cardinals’s biggest lead came at 20-14, but KWC rallied to tie it at 26-all by halftime. Louisville’s last lead came at 49-47 on a 3-pointer by redshirt sophomore guard/forward Mike James at the 6:09 mark.
Kentucky Wesleyan countered with a 6-0 run and never relinquished the lead, although it remained close the rest of the way.
That 6-0 run started when Edward Jones Jr. grabbed an offensive rebound and made the put-back to tie the game at 49. On the ensuing possession, Kennedy Miles got to the foul line. Miles made the first, but after missing the second free throw, Alex Gray grabbed the offensive board.
Gray found Miles at the top of the key for a 3, giving the Panthers a 53-49 lead with 5 minutes left. Jones pushed the Panthers to a 56-51 lead after another 3 with 3:36 left on the clock.
After two Mike James free throws that cut the Cardinals deficit to 59-57 with two minutes left, Kaeveon Mitchell provided the response with his third 3-point bucket of the game, giving the Panthers a 62-57 lead.
Louisville kept trying to chip away, but the Panthers had an answer every time, including the clutch free throws in the waning moments.
University of Louisville head coach Kenny Payne felt the Panthers physically outplayed the Cardinals.
“Hats off to Wesleyan,” he said. “ They did a great job. They came in here and they were more physical with us, obvious by the 47 to 33 rebounds. We seemed to just ball watch, which we talked about, and they seemed to attack the ball.”
Quotes from KWC head coach Drew Cooper were not available Monday night.
Borja Fernandez let the Panthers with 19 points and added 7 rebounds. Mitchell chipped in 13 points, while Logan McIntire, Miles, and Jones each finished with 10 points. Jones and Gray also grabbed eight rebounds each.
Skyy Clark paced Louisville with 24 points and 7 rebounds. James added 16 points, 6 boards, and 4 steals. Tre White tacked on 11 points and 7 rebounds.
James added 16 points, six boards and four steals, while White tacked on 11 points and seven rebounds.
KWC will travel to Bowling Green next week to play Western Kentucky University in the Panthers’ final exhibition game on November 6. Tip-off at Diddle Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
