Big East final standings... Tournament bracket

TUESDAY AT C.C.:




-Final standings regular season women's hoops

-Tournament bracket.

-Dissecting the UofL-Providence stats.

-Watson wails about the "L".

-Girls high school regionals underway
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In a wild and wacky end to the regular season, BIG EAST women's basketball now prepares for tournament play. Our staff chimps couldn't have drawn up last night's bizarre and shocking results any better:

-Cincy knocks off Marquette, giving Louisville a shot at 4th seed.

-Louisville stumbles at Providence, giving Rutgers a shot at 4th seed.

-Rutgers beats Seton Hall, accepting the gifts and getting 4th seed.

-Georgetown falls to South Florida and drops to 7th seed.

-Villanova upsets Pitt and grabs #14 seed


-DePaul upends Notre Dame and receives #2 seed.







HERE's the final standings:



(1) UConn 16-0. (2) DePaul 13-3. (3) Notre Dame 13-3. (4) Rutgers 11-5. (5) Marquette 10-6. (6) Louisville 10-6. (7) Georgetown (8) St. John's. (9) Syracuse (10) WVU. (11) Providence. (12) Pittsburgh. (13) USF. (14) Villanova. (15) Cincinnati. (16) Seton Hall.

Louisville actually turns out smelling like a rose despite the loss last night to Providence. They get the winner of Providence vs. Villanova. They should be able to beat Providence on a neutral court (the motivation certainly should be there) and if Villanova pulls the upset...the Cards handled them easily earlier this season. This #11 vs. #14 matchup appears to be the best possible scenario for the Cards to face the winner of. Lousiville certainly didn't want to run into #9 Syracuse again or tangle with WVU on a neutral court. Also, with the #6 seed...they are out of the Connecticut half of the bracket. They would have to face #3 Notre Dame in the quarterfinals if they advance...and a chance to face #4 Rutgers might have been better for the Cards...but #2 DePaul would certainly be seeking revenge if they were facing the Cards in the quarters and no one wants to see Connecticut on Sunday.



The Cards have a new season, new life and the chance to improve on their NCAA Tournament seeding and the games will be at 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday...an advantage for those who want to watch but have plans during the afternoon hours.





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Louisville played perhaps one of their worst games of the season in the loss last night. They allowed 51.9% shooting by a Providence team that was averaging 35.7%. They got out-rebounded 30-21. Defense and hitting the boards. Walz stresses it constantly. Louisville gets failing marks in each for Monday night's performance.
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The Cards went 5-16 from three point land for 31.3% (Schimmel 2-5) and 21-44 from the field
for 47.7% (Reid 6-9). OK...but not great numbers, The number of wide open, uncontested layups and putbacks that Louisville missed is distressing...I counted at least six during the broadcast. Any one of these would have won it for the Cards.
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Reid led Louisville in scoring with 15 points. Tia Gibbs 14, Schimmel 13. Keisha Hines had 6, Antonita Slaughter 5, Becky Burke 3 (on 1-5 three point shooting), Shelby Harper and Sherrone Vails 2 each and 1 for Asia Taylor. All nine Cards that played did score.

Reid played 35 minutes, Gibbs had 32 minutes, Schimmel 30, Hines 24 and Vails 19. Slaughter logged 18, Burke (on a sprained ankle) 16, Harper 15 and Taylor 11. 13 fouls for the game...Hines and Schimmel 4 each.
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Louisville did get 11 steals...Gibbs with 7 of them. The Cards turned it over 20 times (Gibbs 5). Louisville's freshmen account for 20 of the 61 points (Schimmel 13, Slaughter 5 and Vails 2). The Cards played in front of a whopping 207 people in Alumni Gym last night....
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(David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE. He shares his views...but never his Butterfinger...with us on last night's loss:
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Had it and lost it. Close but no cigar. Right in your hands but couldn't hold on to it. Pick the worn out cliche you want for last night's loss to Providence. I'm going with choke job. It was a choke job. Louisville had several opportunities to go for the jugular last night and dropped the knife. Seven point leads need to become 10-12 point leads and the start of routs. Instead, Louisville graciously bowed, scraped and allowed Providence to climb back in it. Choke job. Not wanting it bad enough. This wasn't a DePaul, Irish or Husky squad. It was Providence. They aren't 6-10 in the BIG EAST because of some conspiracy. Heck, Rutgers beat them in that gym by 21. St.John's by 16. Two teams Louisville man-handled.
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The end game sequence puzzles me also. Why go for an air ball Burke 3 when all you need in two to tie? Was Louisville afraid of overtime in front of a few dozen fans? 10 seconds is a lifetime to get the ball down court and score a layup or pass for an easy paint shot. Schimmel, Reid, Gibbs...even Harper could have carried Jeff Walz the length of the court over a shoulder while dribbling and got off a close-in attempt.
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I digress, though. If Burke hits the three, she's a hero. Hines did rebound the miss but had a foot on the baseline. Thinking. Positioning.Two areas where Louisville came up short last night.

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I did read Walz's comments before I sent this missive to CARDINAL COUPLE. It's like he was channeling my thoughts and saying them out loud. I was sick after the loss, too. I turned off the computer, looked at my wife and told her that this team has no heart. I don't feel as bad this early morning as I did last night. I do think, though, that the Cards let a golden opportunity get away. We'll see if they can re-muster and perhaps beat these Friars in a probable re-match Saturday night.

(David Watson writes for our blog site when he isn't out looking at fender benders and smash-ups. He's an accomplished whistler and plays Scrabble with aggression.)
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Jeffersontown, Manual, Ballard and Mercy advanced in the first round of the 7th. Region Girls' Basketball playoffs.
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Mercy downed Sacred Heart 67-49...getting 16 points from Courtney Roush and Juliann Miller. They outscored Sacred Heart 35-20 in the second half to pull away and take command. They'll face Jeffersontown Thursday.
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Jeffersontown's Aisjah Roan netted 23 in the Chargers' 66-53 win over Fern Creek. J'Town built a 48-36 lead after three quarters and held on for the win. Fern Creek's Teonia McCune had 15 for the Tigers. The Chargers get Mercy Thursday in Atherton's gym.
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Manual had no trouble with Assumption in a 85-59 romp. Seventh Region Player of the Year Mechael Guess led the Crimson with 23 points. April Wilson added 12 for Manual..who led 72-40 starting the 4th quarter. They get Ballard on Thursday next...
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Ballard surprised Christian Academy 63-56 with a 43-28 second half scoring advantage after being down 10 at half time. Freshman Javonna Layfield had 24 for the Bruins and China dow finished with 20 for CAL. Ballard plays Manual next...on Thursday.
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Marion County advanced in the 5th Region by beating North Hardin 58-36 Makaya Epps had 30 for the Lebanon, KY. high school and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers added 15. Both sophomores are on the the Lady Cards "want list". Marion County advances to play Nelson County Friday.
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Rockcastle County plays Tuesday night in the 12th Region against Wayne County.
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In the 6th region, the following game tip Tuesday at Atherton:
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Butler vs. Presentation
Holy Cross vs. Bullitt Central
Louisville Central vs. Pleasure Ridge Park
Bullitt East vs. Doss.
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