Louisville Gets a Scare

Rick Pitino warned his team.

Louisville’s coach didn’t expect an easy game against Louisiana Lafayette in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and the Ragin’ Cajuns proved just as troublesome as Pitino suspected -- maybe even more.

“Even at halftime, we said look guys, you think you’re going to blow this team out, you’re mistaken. It’s coming down to the last two minutes,” Pitino said after his fourth-seeded Cardinals advanced in the Albuquerque Regional at Nashville with a 68-62 victory Friday night.

“We’re very proud of this victory. When you’re a four seed, and you play these teams today, you’re going to play a terrific basketball team. We knew we weren’t getting a breather.”

Francisco Garcia went seven for seven from the free-throw line in the last 1:57, finishing with 27 points to help Louisville (30-4) reach the second round for the second time in three years under Pitino, who is 28-9 in the NCAA tournament.

There were eight lead changes in the second half before Louisville finally went ahead for good, 56-55, with 3:43 to go.

Larry O’Bannon scored 13 points and Taquan Dean had 12 for Louisville, which erased memories of a first-round loss to Xavier last year.

Brian Hamilton led Louisiana Lafayette (20-11) with 19 points before fouling out. Tiras Wade had 15 points and Chris Cameron had 11.

“It is a shame a team had to lose tonight,” Louisiana Lafayette Coach Robert Lee said. “But our team played great, and that’s all I can ask.... We just didn’t make the plays down the stretch.”

Georgia Tech 80, George Washington 68 -- Jarrett Jack, Will Bynum and B.J. Elder combined to score on six straight possessions in the second half to lead the Yellow Jackets to an easy victory.

Georgia Tech (20-11) never won by more than eight points last season in its march to the championship game.

Jack had 20 points, Bynum had 17 and Elder had 15, which will play Louisville on Sunday.

Pops Mensah-Bonsu scored 15 to lead four players in double figures for 12th-seeded George Washington (22-8), but the Colonials couldn’t overcome their dismal foul shooting, going four for 16 at the line, including seven straight misses at one point.