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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Long before the slaughter subsided Sunday evening, it had become quite evident that Louisville was the far superior team.

Third-seeded Louisville (26-12) was a really good team having a really good day, and sixth-seeded Oklahoma seemed to never have a chance in its season-ending 78-48 loss in the second-round NCAA Tournament basketball game at BJCC Arena.

A 30-point rout is no way for any team to have its season end. But in an odd way, Sunday's loss showed the levels to which OU head coach Jeff Capel and his team overachieved this season.

OU was hampered much of the year by marginal talent — aside from star freshman Blake Griffin and a couple others — virtually no depth and more bad luck than any team deserves in one season.

After posting a 16-15 record last year and missing the postseason for the first time in 26 seasons, OU bounced back and went farther than many thought it could.

That's why Capel refused to take any credit for the Sooners getting to 23-12 and keeping their season alive into the third week of March.

"Our players deserve all the credit,” the second-year Sooner coach said. "These guys worked their butts off, and they overcame all kinds of different things this year. There were so many times when people counted this team out, and they came back and fought and responded.

"This hurts, but that's not going to diminish everything that we've done this year and all that we've accomplished.”

Outmatched as they were Sunday, the Sooners couldn't catch a lucky break, either. After a 19-2 run had put the Sooners in a 37-16 hole late in the second half, little-used Louisville guard Will Scott landed the dagger as the halftime horn sounded.

When it looked like OU's defense was going to hold on Louisville's last possession of the half, Scott chased down a loose ball just inside the mid-court line and threw in a 35-footer at the buzzer for a 44-22 lead.

"The crazy thing was that when the kid let the shot go, I knew it was going in,” Capel said. "That's just the way the half went.”

So the Cardinals will go to Charlotte, N.C., for a Sweet 16 game against No. 2 Tennessee on Thursday. The Sooners go home to reflect on this season and look to next.

"This loss taints how you look at this season,” Griffin said. "I'm so proud of all these guys and how they played and how they fought through all we've been through. I couldn't ask for better teammates. It's been a fun year.”

Exactly who will be around next season is yet to be seen. Questions came for Capel and Griffin on Sunday about whether or not they'll still be at OU when practice opens next October. Capel could get an offer to leave OU for South Carolina, or maybe another job. Griffin could opt for the big money that surely awaits him in the NBA.

But for now, the Sooners will just wait for the sting from the season-ending, 30-point loss to fade, at which time everyone involved can look back with pride on the team's performance this year.

"I think there are many brighter days ahead,” junior Omar Leary said. "You've got to start somewhere, and for us, that's getting back into the NCAA Tournament and winning a game. And we did that.”