| Date: Dec. 12, 2001 | Score: Louisville 75, Coppin State 49 |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: Reece Gaines (20) Coppin State: Jimmy Boykin (18) |
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| The real story of the first ever meeting between the Cardinals and Coppin State Eagles was not the game itself, but the fall of forward Luke Whitehead at the opening of the second half. Whitehead went up for a lob dunk, scored on the play, but was undercut and fell on his head with his whole body contorting on the court. It was a frightening moment, followed by a few anxious moments as Whitehead lay on the floor. He never lost consciousness, but after his nose started bleeding he was taken to Jewish Hopsital, where all tests were negative. His status for future games is in the air, and he has been diagnosed with a back sprain. |
| The game itself wasn't as exciting, but just as unenjoyable to watch. Although U of L set a school record with 37 three-point attempts, they didn't make many of them: only 11. It was the defense that led to the Cards' 40-16 halftime edge, as their press provided 10 first half lay-ups and several dunks. Coppin State committed 20 first half turnovers on their way to losing their fifth straight game. Before going down with his injury, Whitehead had 11 points on 5-5 shooting, but it was guard Reece Gaines who paced U of L offensively, leading all scorers with 20 points on 6-11 three-point shooting to go along with six assists. Ellis Myles finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Bryant Northern, making his second straight start for the Cards, finished with 12 points on 4-10 shooting from three-point range. All of his field goals were three-point attempts. |
U of L forced turnovers on the first nine of Coppin State's 13 possessions in opening a 10-2 lead. Leading 15-7 midway through the first period, the Cards used a 14-2 run -- fueld by two Reece Gaines three-pointers -- to take a demanding lead. Although the Cards shot only 46.9% from the field, there is greater concern in getting outrebounded 42-32 and shooting only 4-14 from the free-throw line.  |
