Much-maligned Edgar Sosa made a dream shot in the
Dream Game.
The junior guard hit a long, pull-up three-pointer
with 2.3 seconds left to give Louisville a 74-71
win over Kentucky in front of 20,078 fans at
Freedom Hall.
With Wildcat guard Michael Porter guarding him as
the clock ticked down Sosa waved off a screen from
Will Scott, dribbled to the middle of the floor and
pulled up for a 28-foot three.
"He kept on backing up, backing up, almost daring
me to shoot, so I just decided to let it fly," Sosa
said. "Then I followed through, kept my hand in the
cookie jar."
The resulting basket sent a jar through Freedom
Hall as Cardinal fans celebrated UofL's first
homecourt win over its archrival since December
2002.
Terrence Williams scored 19 points, grabbed eight
rebounds and recorded five steals for the 18th-
ranked Cardinals (9-3), while Sosa scored a season
-high 18 points.
Afterward UofL coach Rick Pitino praised Sosa, who
has often been criticized by his coach and fans
alike in his two-plus years with the Cards, who
came in averaging just five points and 1.1 assists
per game.
"I'm very happy for Edgar Sosa," Pitino said. "It's
been very difficult for him, this was a chance for
him to a be a hero, and he was."
Sosa, who had played sparingly in UofL's last two
games (13 minutes vs. UNLV and six against UAB),
responded to his fifth start of the season with 18
points. That came after he had a heart-to-heart
with his coach on New Year's Day.
Edgar Sosa helped Louisville beat Kentucky
Sunday. |
"We had a long talk and I basically told him,
'Edgar if I was you I'd transfer now. I wouldn't
wait because you're going to need a year under
another coach to learn his system,'" Pitino said.
"'The fans aren't too happy with you, more
importantly you're not happy with yourself, you're
not having fun. I really think we'll look at some
schools that don't play defense, there aren't too
many, but there are a few I can pick out. Then,
we'll get you to transfer. I want you to think it
over son, if you decide to come back I'm going to
start you, but I want you to be happy and have fun
playing the game of basketball. It's painful
watching you.
"He said, 'Coach I feel like I'm on a short leash,
everyone else is on a long lease and I am on a
short one. I said, 'Edgar the reason you are on a
short leash is because every time you miss a shot
you get so down on yourself. I feel that you're not
an upbeat, positive guy. All I want you to do is
play defense. I don't care what else you do, but
play defense.' (And) he decided to stay and I am
happy he made that choice.'"
UofL fans likely are too, as the Cards bounced back
from their New Year's Eve loss to UNLV.
UofL jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead thanks to a 9
-0 run in which Sosa scored five points and Earl
Clark four.
But the Cards could never shake the Wildcats (11-
4), who got 28 points from junior guard Jodie Meeks
and 22 points and 15 rebounds from sophomore
forward Patrick Patterson.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Meeks pulled UK
within 17-16 at the 11:51 mark, and the two teams
stayed close the rest of the half.
UofL led 38-35 at intermission thanks to nine
points apiece from Sosa and Clark and a 13-6
advantage in points off of turnovers, and in spite
of being outrebounded 19-9 and only five minutes,
two points and two fouls from center Samardo
Samuels.
UK took its first, and only, lead on a Patterson
rebound basket 2:44 into the second half. But right
after the field goal UK coach Billy Gillispie was
whistled for a technical foul.
That started a 12-0 run by the Cards. T-Will's
three with 13:06 to play gave UofL its largest lead
- 57-45.
The Wildcats, though, wouldn't go away. They used
an 11-2 spurt to pull within 66-64 with 2:54 to go.
UofL led 71-64 with 50.7 seconds to play after two
free throws by Sosa, but the Cards nearly choked
the game away. Meeks hit three free throws, after
being fouled on a three-point attempt, scored on
the heels of a steal, then hit two more free throws
after another UofL turnover to tie the game at 71
with 22.9 seconds remaining.
That set the stage for Sosa.
"I knew Sosa wasn't going to pass it," Gillispie
said. "I don't mean that bad, he killed us when we
played him two years ago (when Gillispie was at
Texas A&M). He wanted to take the last shot and
that's why he probably made it. You know when you
think about the entire possession, if you would
settle for a 24-foot jumper with no pass you would
take your chances. If Mike would've gotten too much
closer he would've tried to drive. But that wasn't
the story of the game, he made the big play to end
the game, but that wasn't the story of the game."
"I'm really happy for Edgar Sosa, he's gone through
some difficult times," Pitino said. "It's nice for
a young man to hang tough and get rewarded for it."
Jerry Smith added 11 points and Clark tallied 10
and eight rebounds for the Cards, who got little
from Samuels (four points, four fouls, one rebounds
in 11 minutes).
UofL did, though, get some valuable
minutes from fellow freshman center George Goode,
who Pitino said afterward is playing with a stress
fracture and hadn't practiced in "three or four
days." Goode didn't score, but had two assists, two
blocks and one steal in 22 minutes for the Cards,
who shot 55 percent (11 of 20) from three-point
range.
UofL next plays at South Florida at 7 p.m.
Wednesday.