Louisville Basketball Dominates Mercyhurst in Preseason Finale

Louisville Basketball Dominates Mercyhurst in Preseason Finale

by

Louisville men’s basketball closed out its preseason schedule with a commanding 71-39 victory over the Mercyhurst Lakers on Wednesday evening at the KFC YUM! Center. The win, reported by The Louisville Cardinal, served as a final dress rehearsal for the Cardinals, who used a massive interior advantage to stifle a scrappy Mercyhurst squad.

While the final score suggests a blowout, the game provided a mixed bag of indicators for Louisville. The Cardinals dominated the paint and the glass, but struggled significantly from beyond the arc, a trend that could prove problematic once they face high-major competition in the regular season.

Karter Knox following Louisville’s exhibition win over Mercyhurst

Bidunga Dominates the Interior

The story of the night was Flory Bidunga. The 6-foot-9 junior transfer from Kansas established his presence immediately, backing down defenders for contested shots right from the opening tip. Bidunga led all scorers with 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting and hauled in a game-high nine rebounds.

The Cardinals’ dominance in the paint was a collective effort. Louisville outscored Mercyhurst 56-14 in the paint and held a +19 advantage on the boards (51-32). Obinna Ekezie Jr. provided the defensive anchor, recording multiple “seismic” blocks and contributing heavily to the interior scoring.

Poor Perimeter Shooting Plagues the Cardinals

Despite the margin of victory, the Cardinals looked disjointed at times. The most glaring issue was the perimeter shooting. Louisville entered the halftime break shooting 0-for-6 from three-point range. They didn’t find much more rhythm in the second half, finishing the game 2-for-13 from deep.

In their previous exhibition win against Kansas on Oct. 21, the Cards had made 14 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc. Against an undersized Mercyhurst team—which only transitioned to Division I in 2024—this lack of outside shooting was a non-factor.

Pat Kelsey following Louisville’s exhibition win over Mercyhurst

Ball security was another area of concern. The Cardinals committed 17 turnovers throughout the evening, including several careless errors such as traveling and stepping out of bounds. A particularly rough stretch late in the first half saw Louisville manage only 12 points over the final 10:37, committing seven turnovers during that window.

Knox, Montgomery and Trimble Contribute 10 Points Each

While Bidunga took the headlines, several other players showed promise. Karter Knox, De’Shayne Montgomery, and Seth Trimble each contributed 10 points. Trimble, in particular, acted as the primary facilitator, recording six of the team’s 16 assists.

De’Shayne Montgomery may be the most intriguing takeaway for the coaching staff. His ability to slash to the basket and score in contested situations suggests he could become a reliable “bucket getter” coming off the bench. Freshman Isaac Ellis provided a spark, ending the team's early three-point drought and drawing a charge that energized the YUM! Center crowd.

Player Points Key Contribution
Flory Bidunga 19 9-for-13 FG, 9 Rebounds
Karter Knox 10 Interior scoring and fast breaks
De’Shayne Montgomery 10 Slashing and transition layups
Seth Trimble 10 6 Assists, playmaking

The Road to the Regular Season

So, what does this mean for the No. 11 ranked Cardinals? On the surface, the defensive metrics are encouraging. Mercyhurst averaged a meager 0.48 points per possession on 21.1% shooting. Louisville, by comparison, averaged 1.05 points per possession.

Seth Trimble following Louisville’s exhibition win over Mercyhurst

The Cardinals made up for their poor perimeter shooting by scoring down low, a strategy that worked against the Lakers but may face more challenges against other opponents.

Louisville now shifts its focus to the official start of the season. They open the regular season against Chattanooga on Monday, Nov. 2, at 9 p.m. at the KFC YUM! Center.

More on Louisville

Head Coach Pat Kelsey talks after Louisville's exhibition match win against Mercyhurst

Worth a look

Read next