Louisville Suffers Embarrassing Loss to Chattanooga at Home
In what can only be described as a shocking upset, the Louisville Cardinals suffered a 81-71 loss to the Chattanooga Mocs on Friday night at the KFC Yum Center. The defeat marked a new low for the Kenny Payne era, as it was the first double-digit November home defeat at the hands of an unranked opponent in the history of Cardinal basketball.
Chattanooga, picked to finish fifth in the Southern Conference, came out strong and dominated the game from the three-point line. The Mocs, known for their three-point shooting, launched from the outside right from the start, building a 10-point lead in the first half. Their lead continued to grow in the second half, as the Cardinals struggled to defend against their three-point shooting.
In the end, Chattanooga finished the game 14-of-34 from beyond the arc, becoming the 14th Louisville opponent ever to connect on at least 14 three-pointers in a game against the Cards.
The loss was a painful reminder of the downturn in the team’s performance in recent years. Kenny Payne, with a 1-5 record in November home games, is facing increasing scrutiny and criticism from disappointed fans and analysts.
The defeat highlights the struggle that the Cardinals have faced under Payne’s leadership and raises questions about the direction of the team. As one fan lamented, “At this point, it’s hard not to feel like this is all just an embarrassing waste of time.”
The loss to Chattanooga is a bitter pill to swallow for Louisville, and it remains to be seen how the team will respond to this setback.