Louisville Beats Michigan State

The Louisville Cardinals behind the great play of Peyton Siva defeated the No. 1 seeded Michigan State Spartans Thursday night 57-44. The win propelled the Cardinals and their coach Rick Pitino into the Elite 8.

Louisville played an impressive game from the start. They shot 46% in the early going from the perimeter. They stole the ball nine times during the game from Michigan State. Their defense held the Spartans to 28% from the field.

The tenacious defense of the Cardinals took its toll on the Spartans from the start and caused Michigan State to turn the ball over 15 times. The performance was the worst for a Michigan State team ever in tournament play.

The win lifted coach Pitino’s record in Sweet 16 games to an impressive 10-0. Cardinal’s players praised their coaching staff for preparing them well for the Spartans. They said they watched film, after film after film. The players said this was able to prepare them for all the ins and outs of the Spartan offense and defense.

The Cardinals will now face the up-tempo Florida Gators in the Elite 8, with a chance to make it into the Final Four on the line. Florida’s offense is one of the country’s best and the Gators average nearly 10 made three pointers per game.

Louisville will spend Friday watching films, hoping they can learn as much about the Florida Gators as they did the Michigan State Spartans.