Jonathan Tavernari scored a career-high 29 points, Trent Plaisted added 21 points and 12 rebounds and BYU capitalized on No. 6 Louisville's injuries and weariness for a 78-76 victory Friday night.
"We're a depleted basketball team. We're running out of gas," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "BYU earned the win. They made tough shots with the game on the line. We turned it over way too much."
The Cougars (5-0) held a narrow lead for most of the game with the inside-outside punch of their top two scorers, who scored all but six of BYU's second-half points.
By the time Tavernari and Plaisted embraced at the buzzer, the Cardinals (3-1) had learned just how tough life will be without injured big men David Padgett and Juan Palacios. Even Louisville's wealth of remaining talent wasn't enough to slow down two impressive scorers on what's expected to be the Mountain West Conference's top team.
"I just wanted them to play like I knew they could play," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "I wanted them to rebound, push it, attack, and see if we could take advantage of them while they were missing a guy or two."
In other Top 25 games, it was: No. 1 North Carolina 99, Old Dominion 82; No. 2 UCLA 81, Yale 47; No 7 Tennessee 74, West Virginia 72; No. 8 Indiana 70, Illinois State 57; No. 9 Washington St. 66, Montana 55; Texas Tech 73, No. 14 Gonzaga 63; No. 15 Texas 102, New Mexico State 87; No. 16 Texas A&M 70, Ohio St. 47; No. 17 Pittsburgh 92, Buffalo 45; No. 18 Kansas State 73, Central Florida 71, OT; No. 19 S. Illinois 63, Mississippi St. 49; No. 20 Villanova 84, George Mason 76; No. 21 Syracuse 91, Washington 85; No. 22 Butler 84, Virginia Tech 78, OT; No. 23 Virginia 100, Penn 85; and Florida St. 65, No. 25 Florida 51.
Louisville is the highest-ranked opponent beaten by the Cougars since Dec. 21, 1965, when BYU knocked off No. 2 Saint Joseph's.
Derrick Caracter scored 24 points and Earl Clark added 19 for the Cardinals, but Clark missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 3 seconds to play. Caracter went 10-for-12 while filling in admirably for injured captain Padgett, but forward Terrence Williams' poor shooting and seven turnovers didn't help.
They're still getting used to playing without Padgett, who could miss the season after breaking his kneecap last weekend, and Palacios, who still hasn't played with a knee injury. Pitino acknowledged BYU thoroughly exploited both players' absences.
"They were hitting all their shots," Clark said. "(Tavernari) is a good shooter. They kept making shots, they played together, they executed. That's what wins basketball games."
No. 1 North Carolina 99, Old Dominion 82
At Las Vegas, Ty Lawson scored a career-high 23 points, Tyler Hansbrough had 27 and North Carolina (4-0) advanced to the final of the Las Vegas Invitational.
Brandon Johnson led Old Dominion (3-2) with 16 points, but the Monarchs couldn't stop the Tar Heels from making 70 percent of their shots.
No. 2 UCLA 81, Yale 47
At Los Angeles, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook had 15 points apiece and UCLA breezed past Yale to remain unbeaten.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 14 points for the Bruins (6-0), who won their 24th straight at home. Josh Shipp added 12 points and Lorenzo Mata-Real had 12 rebounds.
No. 7 Tennessee 74, West Virginia 72
At Newark, N.J., Chris Lofton scored 19 points, JaJuan Smith made five free throws in the final 36 seconds and Tennessee held off West Virginia in the semifinals of the StubHub! Legends Classic.
Wayne Chism added 17 points and Smith finished with 15 for the Volunteers (5-0), who kept letting the Mountaineers (2-1) back in the game after seeming to take control.
No. 8 Indiana 70, Illinois State 57
At Hoffman Estates, Ill., Freshman star Eric Gordon scored 31 points, the third time in four games he's scored at least 30, and Indiana (4-0) held off a second-half charge to beat Illinois State in the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
Levi Dyer scored 18 points for Illinois State (3-1).
