Cards on the wrong side at the buzzer again, fall to 0-3 after 61-60 loss to Appalachian State

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - UofL guard El Ellis drove down the lane and scored as the buzzer sounded in the KFC Yum! Center. The 0-2 Cards trailed Appalachian State (3-0) 61-60. As the ball went through the net the crowd and the Cards went crazy.

The officials reviewed the play and replay showed the ball still in Ellis’ hand with 0.0 on the clock.

The result, a 61-60 loss, the third straight one point loss for Kenny Payne and the Cards. Counting a 51-50 season ending loss to Virginia in the 2022 ACC Tournament, it UofL’s fourth straight one point setback.

“He hit a great shot, we thought we had enough time and just, it was something that you don’t really know until you review, emotions there was definitely we thought we had the game,” UofL guard Hercy Miller said. “we just couldn’t do nothing about it, so we’ve just got to be positive and move on and work on the next game.”

For Payne, his head coaching career has tipped off with three straight dramatic finishes. A 67-66 loss to Bellarmine last Wednesday. A 73-72 loss on a buzzer beater to Wright State on Saturday, and then tonight’s result.

The Cards trailed the Mountaineers 38-25 at the half and never led in the game. Ellis tied his career-high with 29 points.

“The aggressor wins, they came out initially in the first half, they looked like they were Louisville, we looked like we were App State or like we were playing in their arena,” Payne said. “It cannot happen. There has to be some pride. Some toughness about being at home and coming out and fighting to get wins.”

The Cards (0-3) head to Maui this weekend and open play in the Maui Invitational against #9 Arkansas (2-0) on Monday at 5 p.m. They’ll meet either #10 Creighton (3-0) or #23 Texas Tech (3-0) in the second round.