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No. 19/18 Men's Basketball Faces USF on Senior Night
Feb. 28, 2012
AUDIO REPLAY LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In its final home game of the season, the University of Louisville men's basketball team will play host to USF on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at the KFC Yum! Center. Tip is set for 7:04 p.m., and the game will be aired on the BIG EAST Network (WHAS-TV in Louisville), with Mike Gleason (play-by-play) and Brooke Weisbrod (color) calling the action. Fans are encouraged to "Wear Red for the Seniors" and be in their seats by 6:45 p.m. to watch the pre-game ceremony honoring the careers of Kyle Kuric, Chris Smith and Jared Swopshire. No. 19/18 Louisville (22-7, 10-6 BIG EAST) has won eight of its last 10 games after defeating Pittsburgh, 57-54, on Feb. 26. Russ Smith came off the bench to lead all scorers with 18 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and registering four steals. Kuric also had a strong performance, tallying 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting - four treys - while totaling two steals and two assists. Peyton Siva, Louisville's only other double-digit scorer, racked up 11 points, five assists and two steals. Pittsburgh had two players - J.J. Moore (16) and Dante Taylor (11) - finish with double-digit point totals. Both programs rank in the top 25 nationally in field goal percentage defense (Louisville, No. 3; USF, No. 25). The Cardinals also rank in the top 25 in steals (No. 6 at 9.3 per game) and rebounds (No. 23 at 38.8 per game). USF ranks in the top 25 in three other categories: No. 9 in scoring defense, No. 14 in personal fouls per game and No. 23 in 3-point field goal defense. USF enters Wednesday's contest with an 18-11 overall mark, going 11-5 in league play. The Bulls have won seven of their last 10 games, most recently edging Cincinnati, 46-45, on Feb. 26. Anthony Collins was the Bulls' lone double-digit scorer, tallying 14 points and five assists. Collectively, USF shot 41.3 percent (19-of-46) from the floor despite a 36.4 percent clip in the second half. USF's defense kept Cincinnati in check, limiting the Bearcats to just 34 percent (18-of-53) from the floor and no 3-pointers in the second half. The Bulls are under the direction of fifth-year head coach Stan Heath, who's led the program to a 69-88 record. Augustus Gilchrist currently ranks first on the team in points per game (18.0), while Toarlyn Fitzpatrick is averaging a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game. In the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, USF was picked to finish 14th. Gilchrist was named to the all-BIG EAST honorable mention squad. THE SERIES - Louisville vs. USF GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. USF
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