By MIKE McCURRY
Fourth-ranked Louisville hung tough with No. 12 Virginia for the first half on Monday, but the shorthanded Cardinals quickly ran out of gas in an eventual 71-55 loss.
Afterward, head coach Rick Pitino was very short with reporters, with the interview session ending abruptly when he was asked about suspended center Mangok Mathiang.
Mathiang, who was suspended for Monday’s game along with forward Deng Adel after the duo missed curfew, was also stripped of his captaincy as part of his punishment. Without two of its key contributors–in addition to point guards Quentin Snider and Tony Hicks, who remained sidelined with injuries–Louisville was outscored 39-21 in the second half on 25 percent shooting (6 of 24). Virginia shot 53 percent while scoring 1.15 points-per-possession, both of which are the highest marks by a Cardinals’ opponent this season. London Perrantes paced UVA with 18 points. Isaiah Wilkins added 13 points and 11 boards for his first career double-double. Perhaps Pitino was ticked off by the fact that Virginia has now reeled off four straight wins in the series, and five of the last six.Asked about Mangok Mathiang, Rick Pitino says, "Don't even ask me about him," and left interview.
— Jeff Greer (@jeffgreer_cj) February 7, 2017
Photo: WDRB 41 Louisville News Follow Mike on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And like ZAGS on FacebookLouisville suffered its 3rd loss by at least 15 points since joining ACC. All three have come against Virginia.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 7, 2017
