Louisville Cardinals lose to Virginia Cavaliers for first road winless season in 83 years
Coverage from the game: Louisville basketball ends regular season winless on the road for first time since 1939-40
The Louisville men's basketball team heads into the final regular-season game of what will go down as the worst campaign in program history knowing it will finish last in the ACC.
Still, head coach Kenny Payne said there's a lot to play for when the Cardinals (4-26, 2-17 ACC) take the court at John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday against No. 13 Virginia (22-6, 14-5).
A victory would avoid the program's first winless season on the road since 1939-40, and it would give U of L momentum heading into next week's conference tournament, "where everybody's 0-0."
"What happens if we can surprise a couple people?" Payne said. "I have to believe that. I'm not a coach, or a person, who, if I don't believe it, I can't say it. I have to believe in what I'm doing. I have to believe that we're capable of doing this."
Virginia enter Saturday's game in a three-way tie with No. 16 Miami and No. 25 Pittsburgh for first in the ACC. After walking out of the KFC Yum! Center with a three-point victory last month, head coach Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers beat Notre Dame at home, suffered back-to-back losses at Boston College and North Carolina then bounced back with a win Tuesday against Clemson.
"I can't sit here and tell you that they're not still playing as well as they played before," Payne said. "I can tell you they're really good on both sides of the ball; I can tell you they control tempo, which makes the game harder. I can tell you that, when you make mistakes, defensively and offensively, they're gonna burn you."
Here’s what you need to know to watch, listen and follow along:
What time is the Louisville basketball vs Virginia game?
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, March 4
Where: John Paul Jones Arena (Charlottesville, Virginia)
What TV channel is the Louisville-Virginia game on?
Mike Monaco (play-by-play) and Tom Crean (analyst) will call the game on ESPN2 (AT&T U-Verse 606; Spectrum 509; DirectTV 209; Dish 143).
How to stream Louisville vs Virginia hoops
Qualified subscribers can watch the game through WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app, ESPN+ or fuboTV.
How to stream Louisville vs Virginia MBB game for free
You can stream ESPN on YouTube TV, which offers a free trial here. fuboTV offers a free trial here.
How to listen to Louisville vs Virginia basketball on the radio, online
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Jody Demling (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville). You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Louisville vs Virginia basketball series history
Louisville has struggled mightily against Virginia. The Cavaliers are 21-5 overall against the Cardinals and have won 15 of the past 16 matchups, including a 61-58 victory Feb. 15 at the Yum! Center.
The last time U of L beat UVA? Feb. 8, 2020, when Jordan Nwora, Steven Enoch and Malik Williams combined for 48 points to lead the Cardinals past the Cavaliers 80-73 at the Yum! Center. Before that, Louisville's most-recent win in the series came on March 7, 2015.
Louisville basketball vs Virginia score, live updates, highlights
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball vs UVA: Cardinals drop lose every road game
