Louisville women's basketball -- CHAMPIONS

CARDS WIN OVER PITT 81-49 

Champions. 

It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? 

The University of Louisville women's basketball team won the ACC regular season championship yesterday afternoon by defeating Pitt 81-49 in the KFC YUM! Center in front of 10431 fans. 

It was a game where Pitt never led and the Cards pulled away by winning each quarter. Louisville got spectacular performances from the two players that were essential for the Cards all season. Asia Durr with 20 points (six three pointers) and Myisha Hines-Allen (18 points and 16 rebounds). 

UofL finishes the regular season at 29-2 and 15-1 in conference play. Atop the ACC, technically tied with Notre Dame, so it'll be called a co-championship by some. The Cards beat the Irish 100-67 earlier in the schedule, so Walz's Warriors will get the #1 seed in the ACC Conference tournament that starts Wednesday. 

Sam Fuehring also finished in double figures with 13 points and recorded a double-double with 12 grabs. 

From the beginning, this was the Cards game. An 8-2 lead early after a Jaz Jones layup. 18-6 when Dana Evans nailed a jumper and 20-12 after one when Hines-Allen took a Durr feed on a fast break and laid one in.

It is fitting that Durr and Hines-Allen were at the post-game presser. Hines-Allen, with a net around her neck, smiling and eagerly answering questions. That same Hines-Allen who ran around the Denny Crum Court holding the huge placard that advertised the title. 

Durr, happy and confident. The Asia Durr who hit another amazing three as time ran out in the third quarter to give the Cards a 61-39 edge over the visitors. They spoke of each other, of not being done yet. They'll get a couple of days to recoup, recover and reflect the win...Walz musing that he'd probably give them Monday and Tuesday off before preparing for the ACC Tourney.  

The Cards shot 52% in the 32-point win. Controlled the boards 40-24 and created 20 turnovers that led to 22 points. 

Champions. 

While the flood waters from the Ohio, engorged and angry...lapped at the 2nd Street flood gate, the palace was safe and the Cards ruled over the downtown arena, hitting Pitt like the torrent of water cascading southwest. A few slow stretches, yes, but never any doubt who was the dominant team on the hardwood. 

The Louisville women's basketball team has met one goal. One of three. Stay tuned. Like the rampaging water lapping at the KFC YUM! Center's foundation...the Cards are rolling on the river and will be hard to contain in Greensboro. Or back in Louisville, Lexington, Columbus...wherever they may meander and roam...

For a sports-infused city that needed some good new and positive print, it happened yesterday. A fitting way to send Myisha Hines-Allen off. 

Susie McConnell Serio, Pittsburgh's head coach, may have nailed it when she stood up to leave the platform after delivering her post-game remarks and fielding questions but made one last comment: 

"You've got great fans, a great team, great facility and great coach here. Congratulations"



Champions. 

LINK: WALZ DISCUSSES WIN

LINK: MYISHA HINES-ALLEN AND ASIA DURR POST-GAME


(Photos by Jared Anderson) 



THE FRED REPORT

Fred "Mr." Rogers. It WAS a beautiful
day in the neighborhoosdyesterday! 

Free Throws -- Louisville shot 10 and made seven in a game that, thankfully, wasn't dominated by whistles and stoppage in action. 70% is good, it meets our standards for a letter in the Fred Report, so we'll award it. We'll award the small case "f". 

Rebounding -- The adage is that you have to have the ball in order to score and Louisville cleaned the glass well with a +16 edge over the Panthers. Hines-Allen and Fuehring, in 56 combined minutes, out-rebounded the Panthers 28-24. No problem in awarding a capital "R" for UofL's grab-a-bility. 

Effort/Execution. The hustle stats went in the Cards favor. Forcing the 20 turnovers, winning second chance points 11-4 getting eight steals and dishing 22 assists on 33 made baskets. Walz wanted the squad to come out running and force the pace. The Cards had their track shoes on. I'll sprint right to it, we'll give a capital "E" and Arica Carter will dash down the court with it to get it to Sam, Asia or Myisha. 

Defense -- Beside Louisville allowing Yacine Diop (and wouldn't you just love to see her in a Cardinal uniform?) 18 points and Jas Whitney 16...UofL shut the Panthers down and allowed just 43% shooting. When you increase the lead steadily on a foe, it means that you're stopping what they do and Louisville did that pretty well for the most part. Let's dig out another capital letter and hand a big "D" to the champs as well. 

FRED RECAP  f-R-E-D


SOFTBALL WALKS HOME AGAINST HARVARD


In Louisville Softball's final game of the D-9 Classic in Orlando, the Hit and Pitch Cards walked by Harvard 4-3 yesterday. 

Literally.

UofL loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and then drew two walks against Pitt pitcher Kathleen Duncan to capture their tenth win of the season. 

Down 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Cards final-a-bat started with Megan Hensley getting hit by a pitch, moving her to second on a sac bunt and then another walk and another hit-by pitch had the bags full of Cards. With two outs, Caitlin Ferguson drew a walk to force home the tying run and Jamie Soles "the New pride of New Egypt, New Jersey" worked yet another base on balls to plate the winning run. 

Danielle Watson picked up the win, retiring 11 straight batters in a five-inning stretch to improve her record to 8-3 on the season. 

Louisville finally gets a home game (weather permitting) on Thursday with the start of the Red and Black Classic. They'll face UAB, the first of four opponents for UofL over a three day stretch at Ulmer Stadium. 


Paulie
xxxxx