Louisville interim coach David Padgett speaks after the Cards beat ACC foe Virginia Tech 94-86 at the KFC Yum Center. Scott Utterback/Louisville Courier Journal
Deng Adel scored a career-high 27 points and three other Cardinals scored in double figures to help Louisville notch its second consecutive win with a 94-86 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday at the KFC Yum Center.
It was an exciting game played at an up-tempo pace, but Louisville (13-4, 3-1 ACC) pulled away late in the second half thanks to a 13-5 push.
Quentin Snider (19 points), V.J. King (16) and Ryan McMahon (10) helped Adel with Louisville's scoring. The Cards made 13 3-pointers, their second-highest total of the season, with Adel making four of them.
Adel, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, notched his second double-double in three games and the third of his career. He was 10-of-15 from the field and dished out three assists. His soaring block in the final two minutes proved pivotal in stopping Virginia Tech's late hopes for a comeback.
"He played well," interim coach David Padgett said. "He played really, really well."
Virginia Tech (13-4, 2-3) had won back-to-back games but was undone by 19 turnovers that led to 20 Louisville points.
Justin Robinson scored 23 points for the Hokies, who also got 19 points and 12 rebounds from Kerry Blackshear Jr. Ahmed Hill added 17 points.
Tech was just 3-of-11 from 3-point range in the first half, but the Hokies heated up in the second half, making 5 of 11. Louisville answered with a 17-of-22 clip from the free-throw line and five 3s of its own.
"For whatever reason, the last couple years every time we've played this team, we've had to beat them with offense," Padgett said. "They're an incredibly potent offensive team."
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Adel, again: Louisville got another strong performance from its junior wing, who initiated offense and frequently attacked the basket after starting hot from 3-point range. Adel was 5-of-30 from 3 over the past six games, so a 4-of-6 clip on Saturday should jolt him out of the slump. He was effective with his right-handed floater, too.
Beyond that, Adel was much better with his decision-making with the ball in his hands for the second game in a row. He drew in defenders with drives and made some smart passes to open teammates. And he helped with scoring as he usually does, reaching double-digit points for the 19th time in 20 games. The 6-foot-7 Australia native still needs to work on his defense, but he contributed on the glass, too. A great effort from him.
A shooting elixir? Louisville was 24-of-99 from 3-point range over the past five games. That's 24.2 percent. Perhaps Saturday could provide a boost for a team looking for its shot. The Cards made 13 of 23, including an 8-of-14 clip in the first half. That helped them overcome 11 first-half turnovers and 16 for the game. Louisville did have 17 assists as a team, though, and that was a big reason there were so many good looks from long distance.
Guard play helps again: Louisville looked a lot smoother on offense with Snider and either Ryan McMahon or Darius Perry on the floor together. Padgett said Friday he liked having two ball-handlers in the game at the same time, and he used that rotation preference a lot on Saturday against a smaller Virginia Tech team. McMahon and Perry combined for 13 points, four rebounds and four assists, including Perry's behind-the-back assist to Dwayne Sutton the first half that'll make a highlight reel.
Up next: Louisville hits the road again, this time heading to South Bend, Indiana, for a Tuesday night matchup at 25th-ranked Notre Dame. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be on ESPN2.