The Cardinals are in position to just run out the clock and get ready for Sunday’s game between the winner of the Ohio State-Siena nightcap, as they nurse a 68-51 lead with 3:44 left.

Louisville has a 14-point lead (62-48) with 7:26 remaining. The Cards are shooting a red-hot 56 percent from the field (24-of-43), including 63 percent in the second half. Earl Clark has come alive after missing most of the first half with two early fouls. Clark has 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Louisville looks like it will avoid the upset bug and advance to Sunday’s second round. Earl Clark hit a free-throw line jumper and then came through with a steal and dish to Andre McGee for a three to give the Cards their largest lead of the game at 57-39. The U of L full-court press appears to have worn down the Eagles. After committing just eight turnovers in the first half, Morehead has already coughed it up eight times in the first eight minutes of the second half. Samardo Samuels has 15 points and seven rebounds for Louisville. Kenneth Faried leads Morehead with 11 points and nine boards, while Leon Buchanan has chipped in 10.

U of L is on a 15-4 run that has given them a 50-37 lead with 14:10 remaining. Terrence Williams has rebounded from a quiet first half and scored seven of his 10 points after intermission, including a three from the left corner that gave the Cards the 13-point cushion. Samardo Samuels continues to lead Louisville with 13 points and six rebounds. Morehead is just 1-of-7 shooting in the second half and has committed four turnovers.

Louisville has scored the first six points of the second half to open up an eight-point lead at 41-33. Terrence Williams and Samardo Samuels each scored down low, and Andre McGee stole the ball from Morehead point guard Brandon Shingles and fed Jerry Smith for a layup. The Eagles have missed its first four shots of the half.

The Morehead Eagles went into the locker room within striking distance of becoming the first 16 seed in history to beat a No. 1, as Louisville is clinging to a 35-33 lead. The Cards are shooting 50 percent fro the field and have hit 5-of-12 from three but have turned the ball over nine times. Louisville’s leading scorer, Earl Clark, played sparingly in the first half after picking up two fouls and had just four points and two rebounds. Maze Stallworth leads Morehead with nine points, while Samardo Samuels has nine points and five rebounds for U of L.

The Eagles don’t seem intimidated by Louisville. It will be interesting to see how the second half plays out, particularly with Clark on the floor.

No. 1 seed Louisville went on an 8-0 run to reclaim at 30-25 advantage with 3:55 left in the first half. Samardo Samuels sandwiched a rebound dunk in between three-pointers by Edgar Sosa and Preston Knowles during the spurt. Samuels leads U of L with nine points and five rebounds while Sosa has chipped in seven off the bench. Maze Stallworth leads Morehead with nine points, including a trio of three-pointers. Kenneth Faried has seven points and six rebounds for the Eagles.

The Eagles are making the Cardinals work, taking a 24-22 lead on a Steve Peterson tip. After committing four early turnovers, Morehead has settled down and done a good job of handling Louisville’s full-court pressure. Louisville, meanwhile, has gotten careless with the ball themselves, committing six turnovers.  A thunderous one-handed follow dunk by Kenneth Faried brought Morehead to within 19-16, and Maze Stallworth’s back to back three-pointers tied the game at 22. Louisville forward Earl Clark has been on the bench the last several minutes after picking up two early fouls.

The Eagles are hanging in there, closing to within 17-12 on a Kenneth Faried baseline drive at the 11:24 mark. Faried has four points and four rebounds. Samardo Samuels has seven points to lead U of L.

Morehead State’s quest to become the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed is off to a slow start as Louisville has jumped out to a 10-4 lead. The Cards have pressed full-court on every possession, leading to four Morehead turnovers. Offensively, Louisville is looking for Samardo Samuels in the post, and the 6-9 freshman already has five points and drawn three fouls on the Eagles.