Jerry Smith breaks out of slump to lead No. 20 Louisville past Stetson 80-48

No. 20 Louisville cruises by Stetson 80-48

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jerry Smith broke out of a shooting slump to score 17 points and lead No. 20 Louisville to an 80-48 win over Stetson on Wednesday night.

Samardo Samuels added 15 points and seven rebounds while Edgar Sosa had 15 points and five assists for the Cardinals (5-1), who had little trouble bouncing back from a loss to UNLV last Saturday.

A.J. Smith led the Hatters (2-5) with 18 points, but Stetson shot 35 percent from the field and was simply no match for Louisville once the Cardinals got going midway through the first half.

Louisville used an 11-0 run to take control after a sluggish start, holding the Hatters without a field goal for over 6 minutes. The Cardinals led 37-21 at halftime and wasted little time pulling away behind the revitalized Smith.

The senior came in shooting 30 percent from the field over his last four games, but he was 6 of 8 from the field against the Hatters while focusing on driving to the basket instead of settling for 3-pointers.

It’s a good sign for the Cardinals, who need Smith’s leadership to help calm a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores.

Coach Rick Pitino has been critical of Smith’s shot selection in recent weeks, saying he felt Smith was settling for too many 3-pointers whether he was open or not.

Smith spent extra time in the team’s practice facility over the last week to work out the kinks on his jumper, but it was his determination to get to the basket that pleased his coach.

Smith wasted little time heeding Pitino’s advice, getting fouled on his way to the rim on Louisville’s second possession then immediately following it up with a layup while getting fouled.

Still, it took awhile for the Cardinals to get going against the overmatched Hatters. Louisville led 13-10 7 minutes into the game before coming to life behind Sosa and Smith.

The seniors sparked an 11-0 burst capped by another layup by Smith as Louisville went up 24-10 and cruised from there.

It’s exactly what Pitino was looking for following the tough loss at UNLV, in which the Cardinals rallied from a 19-point deficit to tie the game only to fall in the final minutes.

Pitino called the loss a learning experience for his young team and said he was looking forward to an eight-game December homestand to help get things corrected.

While the Cardinals only sporadically displayed the kind of intensity Pitino expects, they were never in any danger against the Hatters.

Louisville shot 62 percent from the field, made 15 of 20 free throws and forced 18 turnovers. Ten of the 12 players who saw action scored as Pitino experimented with his lineup liberally in the second half.

The Cardinals played without injured guards Preston Knowles and Peyton Siva, both of whom watched from the bench in street clothes. Pitino expects them to be back for Saturday’s game against Charlotte.

The injuries forced Smith to play point guard when Sosa went to the bench. He looked comfortable at times with the ball in his hands and finished with three assists and three turnovers in 24 minutes.