WBB digs deep to win 63-53 at UVA -- Softball and Lax opens 2023 Season --FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

Good Friday morning readers, the birds are chirping! And I don't just mean the ones outside in the trees.  The university grounds crew was out doing some landscaping Thursday which means, SPRING is near!! 

The UofL softball Cards flew south to open the 2023 season like they usually do to find some warm temperatures.  They will open with a double header In Clearwater, FL against South Alabama and then #21 Kentucky on Friday and then 3 games to close out the weekend down there. 

Lacrosse entertains #9 Denver at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium today as well, they'll start their action at 1 p.m.

WBB pulled out a gutsy win in Charlottesville to move to 9-4 in the ACC.   The Cards are looking to secure a double bye in the conference tournament.  Louisville is 18-8 on the season and have now won 3 in a row. 

 

WBB

The Cards win 63-53!!  

Louisville secures a must-win at Virginia after trailing for almost 27 minutes of the game. The Cavs have only won 3 conference games and have been dominated by the Cards in series history, however, the short-handed Wahoos managed to give Louisville all they could handle on Thursday night. Every game matters at this point in the season as UofL looks to stay with the pack for third place in the ACC. Miami and North Carolina are right on the heels of that pack.

Chrislyn Carr scored 12 of her 14 points in the 4th quarter to lead the comeback with Hailey Van Lith scoring 10 of her 17 in the second half. UofL outscored Virginia 37-19 in the second half while losing the first half 34-26.

End of 1Q 16-15 UVA

FG %
5-14 35.7% Cards
6-17 35.3% UVA
Reb. 10 all
3-pt %
1-6 16.7% Cards
2-7 28.6% UVA

The game started with a 7-0 run for Virginia. UVA really pushed the Cards around on the floor. The score was 12-9 after two good HVL free throws at the 5 minute mark. UofL started the game 1-5 from three point land. Carr does something we don't see her do too often and drove the lane and got fouled to pull the Cards within a point, 12-11 UVA lead. Cavaliers were held scoreless for 5 minutes to end the quarter while the Cards went on a 9-0 run.   Louisville was unable to capitalize on a forced shot clock violation as they turned it right back over to the Wahoos.  A UVA offensive foul gave it back to the Cards and HVL fed it low to Dixon under the basket for the Cards first lead of the game 13-12. In the final 30 seconds of the quarter, Morgan Jones sunk her first attempt of the game but UVA responded with 10 seconds left to retake the lead 16-15. The Cards converted 5 assists on 6 made buckets in the quarter, HVL with 3 of them.

End of 2Q 18-11 UVA


FG %
4-11 36.4% Cards
6-13 46.2% UVA
Reb. 8-7 UVA
3-pt %
1-3 33.3% Cards
1-3 33.3% UVA



UVA opened the quarter hot going 9-4 to start the quarter. Camryn Taylor for UVA had 6 of the Cavs 9 points. The Cards continued to struggle to take care of the ball, HVL had 4 turnovers in the quarter. It was 25-19 at the media timeout just under the 5 minute mark and the Cards were in a 2:30+ min scoring drought until Jones got open under the basket to put it up and in 25-21 Cavs. Russell hit a 3 to make it 25-24 but UVA responded with one of their own to make it 28-24. Konno with the great rebound but no favors from the refs when she got clobbered and the ball rolls out off of her and out of bounds. UVA ball. Right on cue, another infuriating call by the refs, they called a touch foul on Konno and gave UVA the ball right back. The refs called a foul on the Cards 4 plays in a row at both ends of the floor.   Norika Konno, Jones, Josie Williams and then Konno again.  I'll say it, I don't care, the calls were crap! The NCAA can't suspend me.  Meanwhile, London Clarkson scored her total 6 points to close the half for UVA. Clarkson and Taylor combined were 6-10 from the field for 18 points.

HALF 34-26  UVA

End of 3Q  15-9 Cards

FG %
4-14 28.6% Cards
4-12 33.3% UVA
Reb.  12-7 Cards
3-pt %
2-7 28.6% Cards
1-2 50% UVA


HVL opened the quarter for a bucket before we are reminded, Virginia can do as they please and it will go their way .. a held ball when Olivia had it underneath? Goes Wahoo way... HVL fouled Valladay but the shot was after and of course it went in? Count it and one. Olivia's turnaround jumper rolled in and around the rim 4 times and back out but a Nyla Harris rebound goes out off of her? Unfortunate. HVL broke a 2:30 minutes drought on a follow up jumper after getting her own rebound.  Clean. Olivia charged into the UVA defense and UofL had committed 4 turnovers in 4:30 minutes.  Dixon went 1-2 at the FT line after the media timeout to make it 38-31 UVA. HVL had a steal and went 1-2 from 3 point range over the next minute to pull the Cards 38-34. UVA then went scoreless for over 5 minutes with Kasa taking the charge, 3 minutes left in the 3Q. Russell made a 3 to pull it 38-37.  A huge Kasa block and she was acrobatically able to get the ball to roll off UVA and out of bounds to encourage the Cards on a 9-0 run. #5 then able to get to the line went 1-2 to tie it 38 all.  Russell got fouled and made them both to give UofL their first lead since the 9th minute of the 2Q. UofL on a 12-0 run over 4:30 minutes. Once again, UVA found a way to get ahead to close the quarter, making a 3 pointer to pull Virginia ahead 43-41.

End of 4Q   22-10 Cards

FG %
6-12 50% Cards
3-11 27.3% UVA
Reb. 10-6 Cards
3-pt %
2-6 33.3% Cards
1-6 16.7% UVA

Carr scored the first 5 points putting the Cards up 46-43. Cards go up 50-45 after getting to the FT line. UVA drained a 3 to pull it 50-48 after getting the offensive rebound over Carr's back.  With more than 5 minutes left in the game, the fouls started to rack up for the Cavs, London Clarkson picking up their 5th foul.  Morgan dished it to Olivia for the teardrop to put the Cards ahead 52-50 before Camryn Taylor fouled out on the offensive end with more than 3:30 left in the game. Robinson got the defensive rebound and assist as she pushed it ahead to Hailey for the layup and one 55-50 Cards lead with just under 2 minutes to go. 'Kasa then found her way to the FT line to put the Cards up 7 with 80 seconds left in the game. As the Cards looked to wind down the final minute, and UVA intentionally fouled UofL about 4 times but no call ( L O L ) before Carr hit her second three of the quarter and night to make it 60-51 Cards.   

CARDS WIN 63-53

UP NEXT

Louisville vs Clemson 
2:00 PM KFC Yum! Center 
Sunday 2/12 

FRED REPORT

(Fred Biletnikoff made so many great game saving and winning catches
for the Oakland Raiders, The Cards pulled a Biletnikoff Thursday with their late pull away win) 

FREE THROWS --  Louisville went 19-25 at the line which is good for 76%.  They scored 9 more points on 10 more attempts than the Cavs.  This was a huge difference maker in this game.  Carr and Robinson both lead in attempts with 6, Chrislyn made all 6, 4 of them coming in the 4Q.  HVL hit her 5 attempts as well.  CAPITAL F

REBOUNDING --  The Cards out-rebounded UVA 39-31.  Merissah Russell lead all rebounder with 8 in 22 minutes on the floor, 4 coming in the 4Q for her and Yonta Vaughn for UVA.  CAPITAL R 

EFFORT/EXECUTION --  Walz decided to start Konno and Harris which I think it worth mentioning.   Virginia came out to start the game 7-0 and lead for more than half of it.  It was a low scoring- high turnover affair between the two squads before the Cards took over in the 4Q to pull out the decisive win.  I say trust the process, we can breathe now.. this win is one the Cards will probably pull out for some of the post season playbooks. CAPITAL E 

DEFENSE --    It was a gutsy win for the Cards on the road against a not so great Wahoo squad.  UVA hasn't won a game since January 15th but I will admit they looked like they still had some fight left in them the way they started the game.   If the game was only 3 quarters long, Virginia would've won on the 3-pointer by UVAs Mckenna Dale with just under 30 seconds to go.  Russell had the chance to tie it with a layup after a steal with 3 seconds but it didnt fall.  lower case d 

FINAL FRED TALLY:   F_R_E_d

Around the ACC 

Duke beat BC 68-27 while Syracuse took down UNC and Miami beat Florida St 86-82 on Thursday night.  


SOFTBALL

The Cardinals will return 13 letter-winners and seven starters from last year's team including two-time NFCA All-Southeast Region selection Taylor Roby and 2022 ACC all-freshman honoree Korbe Otis. Louisville also welcomes six newcomers to the 2023 roster including transfers Paige Geraghty and Daisy Hess.

The Cardinals were picked to finish seventh in the 2023 ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Cards are 14-9 in season-opening games and have won their first game of the season in nine of the last 11 years.

We're told you can watch the contests HERE

Louisville vs South Alabama
11:00am in Clearwater, FLA

Louisville leads the series 1-0 last meeting on February 24th, 2018 - Louisville won 5-4 in the D9 Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla.

Scouting the Jaguars: South Alabama is coming off a solid 2022 season, finishing second in the Sun Belt with an overall record of 26-21. The Jaguars are picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt, coming off a 16-6 record in conference play. 

The Jaguars roster is highlighted by Junior pitcher Olivia Lackie.  Lackie finished season with a 15-8 record, while striking out 208 batters and allowing just 45 earned runs and holding opponents to a .168 batting average in 155.2 innings of work a year ago Also named to the Preseason D100 Player List by D1 Softball.

Senior outfielder Mackenzie Brasher were named preseason all-Sun Belt Conference for the second straight season. Brasher led the club in batting (.341), runs scored (30), hits (46), stolen bases (20) and multi-hit games (11), and her 20 stolen bases were seventh-most in the SBC.

Louisville vs Kentucky 
1:30PM in Clearwater, FLA

Kentucky leads the series with the Cards 22-20.  UK won the last meeting on April 12, 2022 9-0 at Ulmer Stadium behind Stephanie Schoonover's no-hitter.

Kentucky ended the 2022 season with a 37-19 overall record, finishing fifth in the SEC. The Wildcats competed in the Blacksburg regional before falling to third overall seed Virginia Tech in the regional final.

Depending on which poll you look at, UK is somewhere in the #17-21 national rankings.  The Wildcats are led by veteran catcher Kayla Kowalik and junior infielder Erin Coffel both named to the USA Softball top-50 watchlist and the Preseason All-SEC team.

I honestly forgot the Cards opened the season with a rivalry game.. with a rematch coming at the end of March.   It would be a nice little kick off for the weekend to get an early season victory over that blue team down the road.   Right now, the USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 has Louisville receiving votes. while the ESPN rankings has UofL at #47 behind UK and WKU. 

LACROSSE

Scott Teeter's LAX squad begins the 2023 season by inviting #9 Denver in for a 1 p.m. match at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium

Denver went 16-3 last season and won the Big East Championship, so the Cards will have their hands full. 

It'll be shown on the ACC Network Extra or not today...if you can't make it out for the match.

The Cards were 7-11 last year and Scott Teeter returns one grad student, eight seniors and six juniors from 2022. 

We're not exactly sure how we're going to cover this one, but Paulie will, at least, try to tune it in on the ACC Network Extra.

As always 

Go Cards! 

~Daryl