Louisville ended a three-game losing streak on Wednesday as Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 22 points to lead the host Cardinals past UTEP 77-74 in nonconference action.
The Cardinals (6-4) won despite going without a basket for the final 7:18 of the first half and making just 6 of 34 attempts from the 3-point stripe on the night.
Coming off the bench for the second straight game, Edwards scored 16 of his points in the second half to lead the Cardinals, who trailed 43-36 early in the second half. Louisville used a 9-0 run over a 1:48 span to take a 63-55 lead with 7:38 remaining.
Louisville never trailed in the final 9:26 of regulation. However, UTEP (6-3) — which led by four at halftime — kept it close, cutting the deficit to a point twice in the final minute.
Corey Camper Jr. missed a game-tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds, and Edwards secured the rebound and the win.
The Miners entered Wednesday leading the country in forcing 20.3 turnovers per game. Against the only major conference foe they face in the regular season, the Miners coerced Louisville into just 11 miscues. That tied a season low for UTEP, and only one of those came in the final 15 minutes.
Louisville shot just 39.7 percent from the field but used UTEP’s foul trouble to its advantage. The Cardinals went 25-for-34 from the free-throw line thanks to the Miners’ 27 fouls. Edwards and Chucky Hepburn going a combined 15 of 18 from the line.
Hepburn finished with 12 points, seven assists and three steals. J’Vonne Hadley recorded his third double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds. James Scott posted his first double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 boards.
UTEP stayed in it by shooting 50.9 percent from the field, including 14 of 25 in the second half. The Miners, who had their three-game win streak snapped, shot 45 percent (9 of 20) from the 3-point line.
Camper scored 19 points to lead the Miners, who got 16 from Barnes. Ahamad Bynum, who entered Wednesday leading the nation in 3-point shooting (63.3 percent), hit four of his five shots from beyond the arc and scored 14 points.
