Cards WBB flies past Skyhawks 86-64 -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

 NYLA HARRIS WITH 16 TO LEAD CARDS TO WIN 

The Louisville Cardinals WBB squad started sharp and easily rolled to a 22-point win over OVC member UTM Tuesday night in Martin, TN. Several Cards joined Harris, who shot 6 for 8 from the floor,  in double figures. Olivia Cochran put in 14 points, Taj Roberts contributed 13, and Imari Berry ended up with 10 points. 

The Cards were never seriously challenged in the one, except at the very beginning of the contest , when UTM took a 3-2 lead. Louiville rallied, though, to go up 10-5 and closed the quarter on a 12-2 run, for a commanding 25-11 first quarter advantage. 

As good  as that first quarter was, UofL did even better over the next ten minutes. The Cards couldn't miss from the floor and UTM couldn't by a bucket against the Louisville stiff defense. Jeff Walz's squad had a 44-18 lead  over the home squad with 90 second left in the half after a Harris layup and went into the halftime break with a 44-20 lead. UTM shot less tha 20% from the floor in the first half....Louisville was 14 for 30, just under 50%.

UTM did show some signs of life to begin the third quarter,and actually scored mpre points (21) in those ten minutes than they did in the entire first half. Louisville led 50-29 halfway thru the third quarter and pushed their lead to 67-41 with a spectacular three-pointer from Roberts with just three seconds left in the quarter. 

The Cards were substiuting pretty liberally in the final tem minutes, and it showed, as UTM outscored UofL 23-19 in the fourth quarter. The Cards were still up by 29 with 5:15 to play, at 79-50, and eventualy played 13 players in the contest...Anaya Hardy scored the Cards last basket with 1:37 left in the game, and Louisville ended up winning by 22 points. 

The Cards won the point-in the-paint battle 52-18, but did commit 21 turnovers. 

THE FRED REPORT 

(The late Freddy Mercury singing  "Another One Bites The Dust" 

                              

Free Throws -- The Cards couldn't quite get to the 70% we like to see them acheive, going 20-29 for 69% Olivia Cochran went 5-6, and Merissah Russell and Harris were 4-4. NO LETTER. 

Rebounds -- 46 grabs for the Cards, with Imari Berry leading the way. with nine  That easiy outshone the 33 grabbed by UTM.  We'll  award a CAPITAL "R" for cleaning the glass better than the home squad. UTM shooting 29% no doubt helped the Cards maintain a board superiority. 

Effort/Execution -- You gotta like the nineteen assists on 31 made baskets, and the 57.4% shooting % for UofL get a big "thumbs up", too. 19 second chance points is impressive as well, compared to UTM's 11. 21 turnovers though is an eyebrow raiser, especially when UTM had just 13. We'll award a small case "e", considering no Card played more than 22 minutes, and had a lot of combinations out there on an away court, early in the season. 

Defense -- For the first half, Louisville played shut down defense on UTM, allowing a mere 20 points and less than 20% shooting. They then allowed 21 pointw in the third quarter and 23 in the fourth...sure, they were playing a lot of combinations...and no one ever got in serious foul trouble, so it was a tale of two halves. Cp=onsequently, I'll award a small case "d". 

FINAL FRED TALLY:   -_R-e-d

 The Cards head to Lexington next for the annual tussle with UK. I'm anxious to see what the revamped Memorial Coliseum looks like Saturday. Jared, Sonya and I will be there to cover it.

pauiie