Flory Bidunga dominates debut as No. 11 Louisville holds off Chattanooga 84-70
Flory Bidunga scored 16 points in his debut for No. 11 Louisville, which jumped out early but struggled late in an 84-70 victory Monday night over Chattanooga, Newsday reported.
Adrian Wooley added 15 points for the Cardinals, who started their season 1-0. The win marks the fourth straight season opener victory for the program and the third under coach Pat Kelsey.
Seth Trimble and Jackson Shelstad each finished with 13 points, while Alvaro Folgueiras contributed 10. As a team, Louisville shot 44.1% by hitting 30 of 68 shots from the floor. Zach Bleshoy and Yonatan Levy led the Mocs with 14 points apiece.
The Cardinals missed their opening shot before catching fire with 10 makes out of their next 11 attempts. That surge built a 23-11 lead following Bidunga’s dunk with 13:43 remaining in the first half. The advantage eventually swelled to 55-30 less than two minutes before halftime. Louisville also controlled the glass early, holding a 21-11 rebounding edge in the first period, which included eight offensive boards.
No. 11 Louisville defeated Chattanooga 84-70 in the Cardinals' season opener on Monday night. Flory Bidunga led all scorers with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes.https://t.co/H8CwPELeop pic.twitter.com/jGxEoJDN8q
Second-half offensive struggles
The second half brought a complete shift in momentum. Louisville shot just 29% after the break, converting 9 of 31 attempts. The team missed its first 12 three-point attempts of the second half, finishing an icy 1 of 16 from long range over the final 20 minutes. The Cardinals went without a field goal in the final 4:13, making just two of their last 11 shots.
Chattanooga encountered its own offensive hurdles down the stretch. After sinking 7 of 15 three-pointers in the first period, the Mocs cooled to 5 for 18 from beyond the arc in the second half. Chattanooga finished shooting 43.9% overall on 25 of 57 shooting and committed 18 turnovers.
Bidunga, who transferred to Louisville after earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors last season at Kansas, efficienty shot 6 of 9 from the floor. He stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds and three steals. Karter Knox chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinals, though he limped off the court in the final minute after sustaining a hard fall.
Upcoming matchups
Chattanooga travels to face Penn State on Thursday. Louisville returns home to host Morehead State on Saturday.
More on Flory Bidunga
FINAL Louisville 84, Chattanooga 70 Cards' offense was sluggish in the second half (1 of 15 from 3) and 9 of 18 from the line. Five in double figures, led by Flory Bidunga with 16 points and nine rebounds.
FINAL- #11 Louisville wins 84-70 over Chattanooga – Very Balanced night for the Cards – Flory Bidunga with 16 Pts & 9 Rbs – Adrian Wooley had 15 points – Seth Trimble & Jackson Shelstad each had 13 points – Karter Knox with 9 Pts & 11 Rbs pic.twitter.com/cOpjrp5atT
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