Louisville fans, you weren't dreaming. (But I'm sure some of you wish you were.)
In case you missed it, the Cardinals were well on their way to one of the biggest wins in college basketball this season — an upset of No. 2 Duke.
And then Zion Williamson happened.
In the first 30 minutes of Tuesday's game, the Cardinals were hitting shots.
They were out-hustling the Blue Devils.
And they were shutting down a Duke team that many feel is on a short-list of title favorites.
Louisville basketball: The Cardinal's upset bid falls short as Duke completes late rally
The lead swelled to 23 points with less than 10 minutes left. Williamson, the Blue Devils' do-everything wing, was on the bench with foul trouble.
His return with 9:13 left completely pivoted the game.
The freshman posted 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and one block down the stretch. He anchored a Duke zone that forced nine Cardinals late-game turnovers.
The Blue Devils closed the night on a 35-10 run en route to a 71-69 stunner.
The frustrating part for the Cardinals was that they almost had Williamson.
Louisville forced him into his fourth foul before the halfway point of the second half. It marked just the third time this season he recorded four or more fouls.
At that point, Williamson was at just 16 points. He had been held to 16 or fewer points just four times in 2019.
But when it was all said and done, he finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds — his 10th double-double of the season.
And he gave Louisville fans heartache — as well as their first glimpse at why many think he's a generational basketball talent.
Social Hour
Ex-Louisville star and current Los Angeles Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell was fined $25,000 for “directing inappropriate language toward a fan.”
So what exactly did he say?
Yikes.
What We're Reading
Louisville's loss wasn't the only heartbreaking basketball defeat in the Commonwealth. Kentucky lost a close one to LSU on a controversial call.
After he initially was said to be staying at Kentucky, Wildcats defensive coordinator Matt House reversed course and is off to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Former Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who is now at Florida, is interviewing for the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator position.
Former Duke star Corey Maggete was accused of rape by a woman who also accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault.
A little late to this, but Indy Star's Gregg Doyel profiled the small-town Indiana high school sophomore who is leading the state in scoring.
The Ohio River in Louisville continues to rise after record-breaking rain. Stay safe, y'all.
For The Road
Oh.
Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.
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