LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Anton Gill scored a career-high 15 points, Montrezl Harrell had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 5 Louisville rolled to an 82-57 win over Florida International on Friday night.
The Cardinals (7-0) started slow before an 18-0 run in the first half and strong start after halftime overtook the Panthers. Gill shot 3 for 5 on 3-pointers as Louisville matched a season high by shooting 40 percent (8 of 20) from behind the arc.
The Cardinals forced 25 turnovers, one shy of their season high in an 87-26 rout of Savannah State. It was the third consecutive double-double for Harrell as five Cardinals scored 11 or more points.
Dennis Mavin led FIU (5-4) with 15 points and Marco Porcher Jimenez added 13 while shooting 4 for 6 on 3s.
The Panthers held Louisville to eight points in the game’s opening 10 minutes before Louisville sprung to 24-10 lead.
FIU had held opponents to 36 percent shooting and Tuesday’s 59-38 win against Kennesaw State marked the lowest scoring total for an opponent in program history. The Cardinals’ 82 points were the most FIU has allowed as Louisville shot a season-high 57 percent (32 for 56).
Louisville trailed 10-6 before scoring 18 consecutive points in less than 6 minutes, capped by Gill’s first 3-pointer with 5:51 left in the half. FIU missed 10 straight field goals, going scoreless for nearly 8 minutes.
Tashawn Desir’s 3 cut the lead to single digits for the last time at 31-23 before Louisville scored five points in the final minute to take a 13-point lead at halftime.
The Cardinals then started the second half on a 16-4 run. Gill’s final 3 put Louisville up 61-31 with 11:52 remaining.
TIP-INS
Louisville: The Cardinals won their 33rd straight home game against non-conference opponents dating back to a Dec. 31, 2010, against Kentucky. The Cardinals have four more non-conference games at home this month before beginning ACC play, including a Dec. 27 matchup against the top-ranked Wildcats.
FIU: The Panthers ranked eighth nationally in 3-point field-goal defense (23 percent) with opposing teams scoring just an average of 55 points per game entering Friday. … The game marked the start of an eight-game road trip. The Panthers don’t play again at home until Jan. 15. … Richard Pitino, the son of Louisville’s Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, led FIU to an 18-14 record in 2012-13 before taking the job at Minnesota.
UP NEXT
Louisville: Against Indiana at New York on Tuesday.
FIU: At Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 14.