LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- No. 11 Louisville wasted no time in blitzing Southern Illinois 74-51 on Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center.

The Cardinals (8-1) scored the first 13 points and ultimately got 15 points from senior center Mangok Mathiang and 12 points and 12 rebounds from sophomore forward Deng Adel, his first career double-double, during the first game of a five-game homestand.

"We had guys looking to run," Adel said. "We got some quick, easy points and threw it into the bigs a lot. Mangok ignited that run with a couple of easy post-ups. That's what we need to continue to do more."

After Louisville scored the first 10 points of the game as Southern Illinois missed five straight shots, Salukis coach Barry Hinson called a timeout to gather his team. It didn't slow down the onslaught as Louisville pushed the lead to 13-0 before Southern Illinois (5-4) scored with 14:55 remaining before halftime.

"We were passing the ball really well," Louisville junior forward Jaylen Johnson said. 'We were working the ball inside to out and back inside and that made things easier."

Louisville coach Rick Pitino loved what he saw from his team early in the game but said the Cardinals got away from what worked later in the game.

"We are having a difficult time putting together a complete, 40-minute game. The first half of Baylor and the first 14 minutes tonight we were brilliant," Pitino said. "Especially in our passing department. ... Once you start playing against great basketball teams, you have to be a great passing team and we aren't doing that consistently right now.

"At halftime, we had eight assists and we are shooting 55 percent. In the second half, we had five assists and shot 36 percent."

As Louisville's passing slowed, Southern Illinois creeped back into the game. The Cardinals were up 21-4 before the Salukis began to fight back.

Southern Illinois scored nine of the next 11 points to trim the deficit to a manageable 23-13 and even got as close as single digits at 25-16, but Louisville responded by scoring 12 of the next 14 points.

"We knew there would be a shock factor, but quite frankly, I thought we got through it pretty good," Hinson said. "We had a chance to get it to single digits before we got to the half, but we cut it to 11. We actually came in the locker room, we felt really good in comparison. ...

"We had a flurry there where they went on a 13-0 run, but we had four straight turnovers too and I think we set an air ball record tonight too."

The Cardinals led 37-26 at the half after two 3-pointers from senior forward Sean O'Brien.

"Everybody was locked in during that first five minutes and then when you take your foot off the gas pedal it slows you down," Adel said. "I think it goes back to our ball movement. Once we stopped moving the ball, it slows the game down and allowed them to come back into the game."

O'Brien and senior guard Mike Rodriguez finished the game with 15 points apiece for the Salukis. O'Brien added a team-best 11 boards.

Pitino said Louisville must improve its passing before the Cardinals face a tougher slate at the end of December when Kentucky and Virginia come to the KFC Yum! Center followed by games vs. Indiana in Indianapolis on New Year's Eve and at Notre Dame on Jan. 4.

"It is so evident that guys are just looking for their shot," Pitino said. "When guys get just as much satisfaction from the pass as they do the shot, then we will be a pretty good basketball team and we will be able to sustain that level of play.

"Right now, we are not doing that. We are just playing good basketball in segments."

Southern Illinois' hope of a comeback was dashed when it scored just two points in the first five minutes of the second half. Louisville's lead increased to 46-28, and the Cardinals never led by fewer than 13 points the rest of the way.

"Their length, obviously their size bothered us specifically in the first half," Hinson said. "You’ve got to give credit to Coach Pitino, they went down at us. We knew they were going to."

Louisville used its massive height advantage to dominate the rebounding 43-31. The Cardinals have five players on the roster 6 feet 9 or taller and the Salukis' tallest player is 6-9.

"We didn't really focus on the (height advantage), but you could see it was a key because of how we scored in the paint with Mangok down there," Johnson said. "Mangok (nine points, 10 rebounds) dominated in the paint. Every time he touched the ball he made something happen."

The 15 points were a season high for Mathiang.

NOTES: Louisville has won 51 of its last 52 non-conference home games in the last seven seasons. ... The Cardinals lit the front facade and interior lights red at the KFC Yum! Center to celebrate Heisman finalist Lamar Jackson. ... Fans were given red light bulbs at the game to take home and light up their houses red. ... Rick Pitino is one win from his 400th at Louisville. He is one of five active coaches with at least 750 victories.