Louisville basketball can't muster offense in 73-64 loss at Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. – El Ellis gave a little shake and baked Michigan State on a drive, breezing to the basket in a delayed transition opportunity. The Spartans got to the shot, but not in time to avoid a goaltend.

Louisville’s offense wasn’t good enough often enough Wednesday to spring an upset of No. 22 Michigan State. The Spartans led by as many as 20 points and won 73-64 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge to snap the Cardinals’ four-game wining streak.

Ellis scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and helped spark a Cardinal charge from behind as many as 20 points. But scrapping wasn’t enough on a night when Louisville’s late haymakers weren’t enough to make hay.

“El did a great job, last eight, 10 minutes of the game of really getting in the lane. Certainly he shot it well,” Louisville coach Chris Mack said. “But we need that when it’s a tight game. We need him to make those plays consistently. It’s a little looser feeling when you’re down 17 points getting it in there and sort of making things happen.”

Not enough happened against the Spartans, but in Mack’s first game back from a six-game suspension, Louisville continued to show it can battle the best teams it’s played this season.

The Spartans (6-2) got 15 points from Michigan State got 15 points from Malik Hall, and five more Spartans scored nine or more points. Louisville hung around for much of the first half despite sizzling Spartan shooting. Despite some breakdowns Wednesday, the Cardinals have come a long way defensively.

The offense has some catching up to do.

Against the Spartans, Louisville forced 19 turnovers but committed 16 of its own, leading to 25 Michigan State points. And though the Cards had some success in the paint – they made 12 of 18 layups or dunks – the offensive possessions when they didn’t get there were a struggle. Louisville hit 13 of its 43 other shots.

Three takeaways from the Louisville loss:

Chris Mack is back

Mack had watched “every single second” of Michigan State basketball this season.

The Louisville basketball coach said so three times at his radio show this week – and added that rather than assign the scout to an assistant coach, as is routine, he took it himself. He needed to do something with his time during a university-mandated six-game suspension to start the season.

Louisville vs. Michigan State highlights: Chris Mack returned, MSU defeated the Cardinals 73-64

Mostly Mack kept his cool. Midway through the second half, when Michigan State’s Marcus Bingham Jr. caught a lob for a dunk that threatened to unglue the Breslin Center, Mack took a sip of water and calmly told his team “Let’s go” as it huddled for a timeout.

Afterward, Ellis and guard Jarrod West said having Mack back wasn’t much adjustment, that assistant coaches – including acting head coach Mike Pegues – had filled in admirably in Mack’s absence. And though Mack missed three weeks of games and practice, he didn’t feel like he was catching up.

“Maybe the perception is different than what we feel in our practice facility,” Mack said. “I feel like it’s been normal since we came back for the first summer session in June. Our guys have worked their tails off over the offseason. We’ve got a collection of new players – no excuse; we’ve got to ramp it up because we’re in December – but this has to be a learned lesson for us, and I suspect it will be. But no, I don’t feel like my feet are finally on the ground. We’ve been working.”

Cardinals’ scorer search continues

On Louisville’s second possession of the second half, Dre Davis cut down the baseline, seeking a feed 15 feet from the basket. Michigan State’s Tyson Walker – at 6-foot, a full 6 inches shorter than Davis – grabbed him to prevent it and drew a foul.

For parts of the night, that seemed the Spartans’ smartest strategy.

Davis scored 11 points in the first half on 5 of 6 shooting, making his only 3-pointer. Davis has looked in stretches like he could be the best scorer on a Cardinals roster that seems to need a go-to bucket-getter. But his second half – four points on 2 of 6 shooting – was a reminder that while he’s showing signs, he’s not there yet. And Mack lamented his team’s lack of execution as it failed to involve Davis more.

The Cards still are searching for a go-to scorer. There are candidates to elevate the offense.

if he hits his ceiling, Ellis could be electric. But he’s not there yet. Noah Locke is a streaky shooter who can change a game when he’s on a run, but he’s not the kind of shot creator to score when an offense falls apart late in the shot clock. Samuell Williamson has that skill, but he struggled to create separation against Michigan State defenders. Williamson was called for two offensive fouls in the first half and went scoreless on one field goal attempt in six-plus minutes of playing time.

And though Jae’Lyn Withers looks at times – including some against Michigan State – like Louisville’s most talented player, he’s yet to put together his offense this season.

At some point, the Cards roster needs some separation, a few scorers to distinguish themselves when Louisville needs a bucket. Ellis and Davis are candidates – if either cand do what they do best with any measure of consistency.

Louisville’s Bahamas fight was no fluke

At No. 25 in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings at KenPom.com, Michigan State was Louisville’s toughest test yet, and the Breslin Center environment backed up the Spartans’ resume with raucousness.

But Louisville’s issues Wednesday looked less about effort than execution. A team that gave up-and-down effort early in the season seems to have figured out it needs to fight. It’s a make-or-miss game, and Michigan State made. The Spartans hit 10 of 18 3-pointers, including 6 of their first 7.

Louisville has to get better offensively to beat teams of Michigan State’s caliber. Its defensive performance against the Spartans – the looks it allowed behind the 3-point line, the straight-line drives to the basket it allowed on some possessions – won’t get it done against that level of competition.

More: Louisville basketball beats Maryland to win Bahamas tournament championship

But for the third straight game – the first two at the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship – Louisville faced a quality opponent and scrapped. The Cardinals kept it close on the boards, losing the rebounding battle 37-31. It battled back from 20 points down to within single digits in the closing minutes.

With another road game at N.C. State to go before it returns to the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville is flawed. But it plays hard. After the way the season began, that’s a step in the right direction.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Michigan State basketball vs. Louisville: Cards lose Big Ten, ACC game