Van Lith leads No. 10 Louisville to 80-66 win over Belmont

By STEVE BITTENBENDER
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hailey Van Lith scored 16 points for No. 10 Louisville as it beat Belmont 80-66. After dominating No. 12 Michigan defensively on Thursday, the Cardinals faced a tough challenge from a Bruins team that returned all five starters and 11 players from a squad that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The mid-major power trailed only 22-20 with eight minutes left in the first half. An 11-0 run in the second quarter gave Louisville a 37-22 lead. The lead grew to as much as 64-41 in the final seconds of the third quarter. However, Destinee Wells hit a half-court buzzer-beater to give the Bruins momentum into the final period. Wells scored 19 points to lead Belmont, which fell to 4-4. Louisville improved to 7-1.