Lexington, KY (Sports Network) - Russ Smith led a relentless attack by
totaling 23 points with eight steals, and top-seeded Louisville left no doubt
in a 79-48 trouncing of 16th-seeded North Carolina A&T in second round play of
the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena.
Fresh off winning the Big East Tournament title game in convincing fashion,
the Cardinals (30-5) made their presence felt on both sides of the ball by
complementing 27 forced turnovers with a 57.4 shooting percentage. They now
await a third round matchup on Saturday with either Colorado State or
Missouri.
Smith had 14 of his points early in the second half to turn the contest into a
full-fledged blowout and finished the contest 10-for-16 shooting from the
floor. Peyton Siva put forth an all-around performance of six points, eight
assists and four steals while Wayne Blackshear scored 12 in the victory.
The Aggies (20-17) wild late season run came to an abrupt halt on Thursday,
two days after collecting their fifth straight win and first ever NCAA
Tournament victory by downing Liberty in the opening round.
Bruce Beckford was the only player in double-figures for N.C. A&T, scoring 12
points. Lamont Middleton followed with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting in
defeat.
The Sports Network