Johnson, Huntley-Hatfield Deliver Fantastic Performances for Louisville vs. FSU

The Louisville men's basketball program certainly had an uphill battle to climb when they took on Florida State on Monday night.

For starters, the Cardinals had been long trending in the wrong direction ahead of the matchup. They were riding a six-game losing streak, and had lost 12 of their 14 games. Additionally, the Seminoles have been a team that has dominated UofL over the last decade, as FSU had won the last seven showdowns in the series.

Further putting Louisville behind the eight ball, injuries severely limited them against Florida State. Skyy Clark and Hercy Miller both had to miss the game due to hip injuries, meaning that not only did they have only one true point guard available, they had just eight scholarship players total at their disposal.

On paper, it seemed like Florida State should cruise to another victory. But that's why they don't play games on paper. In actuality, it was Louisville who found themselves on the right side of the win/loss column, capturing a barn-burning 101-92 victory. Not only did it mark their first victory against FSU since Mar. 7, 2018, it was UofL's first home win in the series since Jan. 20, 2016.

With a final score like that, there no doubt were several contributors in the victory. That being said, the winning effort for Louisville was fueled primarily by a pair of fantastic outings from Ty-Laur Johnson and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.

"I thought when Ty-Laur (Johnson) went into the game, it totally changed the dynamic of the game," head coach Kenny Payne said. "He put them on their heels. He got us in the lane and created offense for us. ... Brandon (Huntley-Hatfield) had another very good game. He still has more that he can give us, but he played well."

Johnson was the aforementioned lone true point guard available for Louisville. He might not have started the game, but he still wound up playing all but two minutes, and his impact was most certainly felt.

The 6-foot, 160-pound guard finished with 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting and a 9-of-10 mark at the free through line, as well as 10 assists and six rebounds to come within striking distance of a triple-double. Not only did he set career-highs in both points and rebounds, he became the first player in the history of the program to have at least 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a game.

“What I try to do first is get in the lane, make the defense collapse, and get my teammates the ball," Johnson said. "So, I don't like to get big-headed once I get going. I just try to get the other guys rolling with me.”

When asked about the milestone he had set, Johnson simply stated that he was “Just happy to make history, and glad we got the win."

Of course, Huntley-Hatfield certainly had a noteworthy performance as well. Like Florida State has done to Louisville over the past decade since joining the ACC, he destroyed the Noles on the interior.

The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward was nearly automatic on the block, going 11-of-15 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line to score a career-high 29 points. He also secured seven rebounds before fouling out.

"I’m a problem," Huntley-Hatfield said when asked how recent success has improved his confidence. "It’s just about making sure I’m focused on the right things coming to the game. I have trust in my teammates first and foremost and I trust in our staff and our gameplan. I didn’t really have a good game last game and we lost, so I just wanted to make sure I’m bringing a lot of energy today and dominating inside. Just continuing my play and helping us get W’s”

By the time the game clock hit double zeroes, Johnson and Huntley-Hatfield became the first pair of Cardinals to score 27 or more in a game since Larry O'Bannon had 33 points and Taquan Dean added 27 against charlotte on Mar. 3, 2005. With Curtis Williams scoring 19 points and Mike James reaching 18, it also marked the first time Louisville has had four players score 18 or more in a game since 1989.

Even with the win and the two phenomenal outings by Johnson and Huntley-Hatfield, it hasn't changed the trajectory of the season. The Cardinals are still just 7-15 overall and 2-9 in ACC play, with all signs pointing towards a coaching change taking place once the offseason hits.

However, the team is hoping that the victory can serve as a catalyst for the team moving forward, and potentially help carry them to a strong end of the season.

"Every time we all come into the media [room], we’re always saying we know what type of guys we have in our locker room," Huntley-Hatfield said. "It’s just about putting it together. Sometimes we find ourselves not putting two halves together in games. I felt like tonight we did that. We also just want to make sure we are watching the film on our mistakes and making sure we are cutting down on those so we can have a much cleaner game. We’re going to have these W’s.”

Louisville will be back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 7 when they travel to Syracuse. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.