Louisville vs. Miami: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

No. 12 Miami won its 13th straight game at home in a 73-65 over No. 11 Louisville.

Davon Reed and Angel Rodriguez spearheaded the victory, knocking down 17 points apiece.

This was one of Louisville's biggest games of the season, as the ACC regular-season title was their only attainable goal this year after a self-imposed postseason ban.

Entering Saturday one game behind first-place North Carolina in the ACC, the Cardinals were tied with none other than Miami in second.

The Hurricanes were shorthanded on Saturday after the team suspended starting guard Ja'Quan Newton for three games due to a violation of team rules, per ESPN.com's Andy Katz. Newton has averaged 10.9 points per game this season. 

Luckily for the Hurricanes, it was senior day at home, where they had been unbeatable as of late.

Long-range shooting, paired with a stellar defensive effort down the stretch, delivered Miami the win. 

The Hurricanes shot 8-of-11 from three-point range and were led by Ivan Cruz Uceda and Reed, who went a combined 6-of-7. 

While Reed and Uceda excelled from outside, Rodriguez carved up the Louisville defense with aggressive cuts to the hoop that opened up the Miami offense. He added seven assists to his 17 points in a stellar effort, as the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Christy Chirinos noted:

Louisville tried to combat Miami with center Chinanu Onuaku down low. He feasted off of Miami's Tonye Jekiri and went 5-of-7 from the field for 10 points to complement Trey Lewis' 13. 

In order to keep up with Miami's three-point shooting, though, Louisville needed a contribution from deep, and it came off of the bench. Guard Quentin Snider went 4-of-7 from three on his way to a team-high 14 points.

The Hurricanes allowed Louisville to open up a 62-58 lead with 5:13 left to play, but that's when Miami's defense bore down and didn't allow the Cardinals to hit a single field goal for the rest of the game.

Miami took a 64-62 lead into the final minute of the contest, and it was Reed who put things away with a corner three to seal the win.

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein kept it simple:

While it was a big game for Louisville, it was a huge win for Miami, which is building its resume for the NCAA tournament, as ESPN's Jeff Borzello pointed out:

With two games remaining, Miami still has a shot at the ACC regular-season crown, but it will have to travel to No. 23 Notre Dame and Virginia Tech and earn wins in both contests for that to happen. 

Postgame Reaction

It wasn't the easiest environment for Louisville to play in, and it even affected head coach Rick Pitino, per WDRB's Eric Crawford:

Pitino discussed with the media after the game what he said to the fans, per David Furones of the Miami Herald:

When it came to the product on the court, Pitino wasn't pointing any fingers, according to Scout.com's Jody Demling:

He sees something special brewing with the Hurricanes, per Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post:

Miami's coach, Jim Larranaga, was happy for his seniors, per Furones:

However, he did take a moment to comment on the suspended Newton, per Porter:

If Miami keeps up this kind of play, then it will get Newton back while being the top seed of the ACC tournament. North Carolina still has to play No. 3 Virginia on the road on Saturday night and then end the regular season at No. 15 Duke. 

One slip up there paired with two Miami wins means the Hurricanes are sitting pretty for the postseason.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.