Cards get first road test against Lady Govs

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-WBB travels to Clarksville for first road game

-Cards sign three for 2013-14

The University of Louisville womens' basketball team plays their first road game of the season against a familiar foe tonight...the Austin Peay Lady Governors. Austin Peay is located in Clarksville, TN. (not Indiana). The game will take place at 8 p.m. and can be followed on OVC TV, Cards TV and 790 AM WKRD. The feed on the OVCDigitalNetwork.com is free if you register.

The two tangled last year in the KFC YUM! Center on Nov. 22nd. Louisville had defeated Xavier 62-44 a couple of nights earlier, without the services of Monique Reid, and came into the game with a 4-1 record. The Cards won 78-60 after leading by just five
at the break at 34-29. Reid returned to the floor after sitting out the last three games for Louisville and led the Cards with 18 points in 16 minutes. Becky Burke (15), Bria Smith (13) and Shoni Schimmel (10) were the Cards other double-figure scorers...the Lady Cards outrebounded Peay 52-34 and shot 49% for the game.

Louisville is 7-0 lifetime against Austin Peay...Jeff Walz 2-0. In Walz's second year at Louivsille, the Cards downed the Lady Govs 72-42 in a game played at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Despite 30 turnovers (must have been the arena's fault) the Cards won easily. We wonder how many sprints the girls had to run after that one...

Austin Peay comes into tonight's game 0-1...losing their season opener on the road to UAB. The Lady Govs were selected to finish fifth in the OVC's Western Division in a preseason conference coaches poll. They return four starters from last year's squad. Junior guard Meghan Bussabarger averages 16 ppg for the Govs. She had seven points against the Cards last year in 16 minutes. Leslie Martinez also scored 16 points in the Peay opener and had four points in 26 minutes last year against Louisville.

The Cards go into the contest ranked #8 in the polls and sporting a 2-0 record...defeating Texas A&M and Portland. Stat leaders for Louisville are Sara Hammond (13 ppg and 11 rebs) and Shoni Schimmel (12 ppg and 4 assists) per game.

If you make the three-hour drive from Louisville to Clarksville...we recommend a stop before or after the game at the Blackhorse Pub and Brewery on Franklin Street. It's just a few blocks from the campus arena and features great pub food and a wide selections of beverages. Paulie recommends the Cowboy Burger and a Beer Cheese Dip appetizer, made with their excellent Barnstormer Ale. For lodging, you can't beat the Riverview Inn on College Street and be sure to ask for a room with a view of the Cumberland River.

We'll be back later tonight with a recap of the action.

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As expected, UofL WBB got LOI's from Emmonie Henderson, Janelle Cannon and Starr Breedlove yesterday.

Henderson is the #21 player in the country, according to All-Star Girls Report. She'll participate in both hoops and track and field events at Louisville. Entering her senior season, she's third on the all-time Edwardsville, IL high school scoring list and averaged 15.2 ppg for the 34-2 team as a junior.

She's also the Class 3-A defending state champion in the shot put and discus.

Breedlove fell in love with Louisville after visiting last weekend and taking in the Texas A&M and Portland games. Out of Teaneck, NJ...the 5'6" point guard averaged 9.4 ppg and 6.3 assists for Trinity Valley Community College...who won the NJCAA championship. She's decided to sit out the 2012-2013 season and concentrate on individual workouts...so she'll have three years of elgibility at UofL

Cannon, a 5'9" point guard is widely considered the best junior college point guard in the nation. During her freshman year at SW Illinois College, she averaged 16 ppg and eight assists and rebounds. She can also go to the two-guard. She was originally slated to attend Minnesota...but left after summer classes there and also spent time at Illinois State before enrolling in SW Illinois College. She'll have two years on the court with the Lady Cards.

A good, solid and productive 2013 class for the Cards it seems. Is it finished? One really never knows in the topsy-turvy world of recruiting...but these three future Cards will all battle for playing time when they arrive on campus and they give Louisville some depth, skill and strength for the 2013-14 roster. 
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