3rd Time Isn't The Charm - Tuesday Cardinal Couple

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

UConn Takes The AAC Title

Well, its not really a surprising outcome, with the UConn Huskies downing The Cards 72-52.  What may be the biggest surprise of the game was to hear even UConn alumna Rebecca Lobo taking the officiating to task for not calling fouls on UConn.  22-3 was the number of foul shots taken by UConn and Louisville respectively.  While admittedly UConn plays in a very disciplined and clean way, the disparity was noticeable.

That having been said, foul shots weren't going to change the outcome of this game.  Unlike their previous meeting last week, UofL did manage to control the boards, block out and get some rebounds...some of the time.  Unfortunately, the boards weren't consistent and UConn was able to take advantage of the times when Louisville wasn't rebounding well to get 2nd and 3rd chance points.  Stephanie Dolson and Breanna Stewart were particularly effective at cleaning the glass with 16 and 9 rebounds, respectively.  UConn outrebounded UofL 47 to 37.

Louisville only shot 30.3%, but UConn only shot 42.4%.  If there's a particularly bright spot, its that
Louisville was perfect from the charity stripe...although with only three attempts, that may not have been enough to be statistically significant.

Shoni Schimmel finally shook off the Huskies Blues by scoring 20 points, although not many other players on the team were able to hit their full potential.  Nita Slaughter went scoreless, Asia Taylor only got seven.  Tia Gibbs and Jude Schimmel both connected for six, while Sara Hammond tallied five.  Bria Smith gets four points in only 16 minutes of play that was clearly shortened by continued knee pain.

UofL will now wait to see what the people that matter think about whether we should be the 4th #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.  The NCAA will announce the field on Monday the 17th at 7pm.  Louisville will host an event, as they did last year, at the KFC Yum! Center.  This event was a lot of fun last year, so make plans to attend.

Softball Defeated by Illinois State

In a game rescheduled from Saturday, The Illinois State Redbirds beat UofL out at Ulmer Stadium 5-2.  Freshman Maryssa Becker pitched most of the game, with Rachel LeCoq coming in to pitch for a disastrous third of an inning in the 5th, allowing three of ISUs five runs before Becker returned to the circle to finish out the game.

Louisville's two scores in the game came in the third inning with Katie Keller, who had been in a bit of a hitting slump coming into this weekend's games continues to roar back with a single.  Whitney Arion followed with a double, scoring Keller.  Maryssa Becker with a single gets Arion home.

The Cards had runners in scoring position in the last three innings of the game, but, as has seemed to be the case often this year, couldn't finish it out and get the runs.

UofL and Illinois State continue Spring Break play with a game at 1pm today.

jeffmca
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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- WBB trounces Coog in quarterfinals of AAC Tourney

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Louisville 88 - Houston 43

- Softball outslugs Ohio U 11-4

- Tough loss for lacrosse in South Bend

- Pick 'em contest standings

LOUISVILLE CRUISES TO SEMIS WITH WIN OVER COOGS

Louisville WBB jumped out to a 26-4 lead and was never seriously challenged by Houston in their opening game of the AAC Tournament Saturday evening. The 45 point win could have been even larger...Louisville had both Sara Hammond and Emmonnie Henderson foul out of the contest and played non-starters for most of the second half.

Sara did get off to a great start for the Cards...all of her 11 points came in the first eight minutes of the game...and the Cards advanced a 7-0 start into a 30-6 advantage halfway into the first segment. Houston couldn't score and Louisville couldn't miss...the Cards up 45-19 at half.

Mindful of the three games in three days ahead, Walz substituted freely in the final twenty minutes. Houston got 'chippy' about the blowout...committing cheap fouls with intent to harm...mostly out of frustration. It gave the Cards a rare five-point sequence when Nita Slaughter drained a three and a technical was called on Houston's Destini Texada. Schimmel canned both free throws to complete the "cinco de ballgame" and Louisville led 53-23.

Louisville led by 48 later before settling for the 45 point win. Shoni led the Cards with 15 points, Nita aded 14. All Cards played but Monny Niamke and all Cards scored. Jude Schimmel directed the Cards offense for long stretches in the final half and looked good in doing so...also getting inside and hitting some improbable penetrations amongst the trees.

Louisville gets USF today at 3 p.m. The Bulls blasted Temple in the nightcap. Earlier AAC action saw Rutgers knock off the SMU and UConn scamper past Cincy.

USF has weapons. Inga Orekhova found her three-point range last night in the Bulls romp. Jenkins is a great rebounds and Williams another prolific scorer. The Cards beat USF by eight in Tampa and 20 at the YUM! in the regular season.

This one is on ESPNU. Should be a good one...USF on the bubble for an NCAA bid by most accounts, so the Bulls will be looking to solidify a bid with a strong effort against the Cards. Rutgers and UConn begin the semifinal card @ 1 p.m.


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SOFTBALL OUTSLUGS OHIO SATURDAY IN RED AND BLACK


The Louisville softball bats were in full force during Saturday action in the Red and Black Classic in Ulmer Stadium. Maggie Ruckenbrod was 3 for 4 with three RBI's in the 11-4 Louisville win. The Cards (10-6) also got steady pitching from freshman Maryssa Becker and Rachel Le Coq after a rocky start for the Cards.

Ohio U pounded Becker for three runs in the first. The Cards were in great shape to tie it in the bottom of the inning...bases loaded and no outs...but a double play and pop out killed the threat.

The fourth inning was beneficial for Louisville. Katie Keller drew a walk and scored on a Whitney Arion double. A Kelsi Jones single and Brittany Duncan walk loaded the bags for Becker...who singled home Arion. Maggie then produced a two-RBI double to give the Cards a 4-3 lead.

Ohio U would tie the game but the Cards would respond with five runs in the fifth. Singles by Duncan, Ruckenbrod, Sims and Hannah Kiyohara ignited the charge that made it 10-4 Louisville.

The Cards swing back into action today with Ohio State at 3 p.m. and Ohio U again at 5:30 p.m.

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LACROSSE LOSES EARLY LEAD, FALLS TO IRISH

Louisville Lacrosse jumped out to an early 4-1 lead over Notre Dame yesterday and held a 7-4 advantage at halftime...but could not stop the Irish in the final 30 minutes...falling 12-9 in South Bend.

It's become somewhat of a recurring theme for this team in the early season...blowing out to early advantages and then losing in the final half.

Colleen O'Malley, Faye Brust and Nikki Boltja had the Cards up 4-1 before the Irish netted three straight to tie it up. The Cards answered with three scores...Boltja and then back-to-back from Kaylin Morissette to lead by three.

The Irish responded with four straight scores to open the final half before Boltja could tie it at 8-8. Unfortunately, ND went on another foul goals run and in was 12-8. Boltja tacked on her fourth score of the contest for the final 12-9 margin.

The Cards (4-3) travel to Buffalo, NY to face Canisius on Wednesday.


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With six games played in the AAC Conference Tournament, only one contestant remains undefeated...and that is Sonja.

She did list her picks earlier in the week in a column here at CARDINAL COUPLE...and they have proven to be perfect.

Nipping at her heels are seven contestants with one loss each ( David Watson, Jenny O'Bryan, Mike D., Bulls Fan, Kenny S., Joe Hill and Keith.) We also have seven participants with only two losses.

Three games to go. In case you want to know...her final three picks are UConn over Rutgers, UofL over USF and UConn winning it all...with a point total of 112 in the final game.

paulie
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Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Hoops, Softball and firings

 

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


- Day One: AAC Tournament

- Softball wins on Day One of Red and Black Classic

- Cards face Houston tonight in AAC Quarterfinals

- Congrats Shoni, Asia, Sara, Bria and Nita

- Lacrosse heads to South Bend

- Adios...Tom Collen


Houston pulls the upset...Cincinnati hangs on

The AAC WBB Tournament is underway and in Friday night action the Houston Cougars knocked off #7 Memphis 73-67 in an upset and #8 Cincinnati held on to defeat #9 UCF 54-52.

UC advances to get UConn. They'll play that one at 2 p.m. today. Houston gets Louisville at 6 p.m. ESPN3 has it on line. In other games today, SMU and Rutgers start action at noon and Temple and USF are the nightcap at 8 p.m.

Thanks to the 21 brave souls who entered the Pick 'Em Contest here at Cardinal Couple. After the first two games there are only two people at 2-0...Sonja and Barry B. Seven games left. (If Barry B.'s picks win this thing, there will have to be several MAJOR upsets over the next three days and Temple will have beome the 2014 AAC Tournament winner).

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Softball slugs past UMass

Softball won their opening game in the Red and Black Classic yesterday 6-2 over UMass. Rachel LeCoq came on to pitch 5 innings of relief to lead the Cards to the win.

Kelsi Jones had a big afternoon for Louisville with three RBI's. Her home run to center field with Whitney Arion on base in the 4th. inning made it 4-2 Cards. The Cards put three singles together for two more runs in the sixth to secure the win.

Louisville faces Ohio State today at 5 p.m. and Illinois State around 7:30 p.m.

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Hoops tonght!

The WBB Cards get Houston at 6 p.m. tonight in the quarterfinals of the AAC Hoops fiesta in the Mohegan Sun Arena. Maybe a little surprising to Coach Walz and the Cards...the Cougars won but one conference game in the AAC this season...but got the job done last night against what appeared to be an out-of-sync and un-motivated Tigers squad.

Louisville beat Houston by 41 in the KFC YUM! Center back on Jan 21st. and by 19 in Houston on Feb 19th.

Cards will get the winner of USF and Temple on Sunday if they can dispatch of the upset-minded Coogs.

ESPN3 is the only televised/internet viewing outlet we know of as of now. Any other sources that you know of?  Tell us.

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Three Cards make 1st team...Nita awarded as a scholar!


Congratulations to Shoni, Asia, Sara and Bria !!!

The first three were selected to the 1st team AAC. Bria was picked for the second team.

And, way to go Nita! She is the AAC Women's Scholarship Athlete of the Year for 2013-14.

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Lacrosse to face the Irish

Kellie Young's lacrosse squad, coming off a 12-11 loss on the road to Ohio State heads north again for a Saturday afternoon tilt against Notre Dame. The Cards (4-2) do battle with the former BIG EAST foe and future ACC opponent at 1 p.m.

The Irish are 5-2...with losses to Boston College and North Carolina. Nikki Boltja, Faye Brust and Kay Morissette are the top guns when it comes to Cardinal scoring.

These two took it to two overtimes last year at the Louisville Lacrosse Staium...the Irish getting the 16-15 win.
#13 Notre Dame is the third ranked opponent the Cards have faced so far this season.

Collen out at Arkansas

Finally...news about Tom Collen. In 2006-07, he lead Louisville WBB to a 27-6 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament...where the Cards fell to Arizona State. He had Angel McCoughtry coming back for her junior year and a strong supporting cast returning.

He left. For Arkansas. His "dream job".

They let him go yesterday. All that glitters isn't gold. The saga below:

Arkansas fired women's basketball coach Tom Collen on Friday, bringing a close to a disappointing stretch for the program.

The Razorbacks (19-11) lost in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament to Mississippi on Wednesday, the eighth time in nine seasons they've failed to advance past the opening game.

Collen was 132-90 in seven seasons at Arkansas after being hired away from Louisville. However, the school reached the NCAA tournament just once, during the 2011-12 season, and the Razorbacks were 40-68 in SEC play — including a 6-10 finish this season.

Athletic director Jeff Long says the program hasn't "made the progress necessary" to compete in the SEC, and that a national search will begin immediately to find his replacement.

"I want to thank Tom and his staff for their hard work and dedication to the Razorback program and to our women's basketball student-athletes," Long said in a statement.

Collen made $415,691 annually and was under contract through March of 2016. He'll be paid $250,000 for each of the next two seasons as part of a buyout agreement in his contract.
Collen was an assistant coach at Arkansas under former coach Gary Blair from 1993-97 before becoming the head coach at Colorado State. He went 129-33 in five seasons there, earning national coach of the year honors in 1993 after 33-3 season.

The Ohio native was hired at Louisville following the 2002 season and coached there for four seasons, going 88-37 and reaching the NCAA tournament in his last three years.

He was brought to Arkansas with the hopes of rekindling the excitement around a program that had largely floundered since Blair left for Texas A&M in 2003.

However, despite success in nonconference play, Collen's teams largely struggled in the SEC. The Razorbacks had just one winning season in conference play, a 10-6 mark during the 2011-12 season — Collen's only team to reach the NCAA tournament.

"I appreciate the opportunity that I have been given at the University of Arkansas, and I'm disappointed my time here is coming to an end," Collen said in a statement.

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Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Are you ready for tournament action?

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- AAC Tournament begins Friday

- Lacrosse falls to The Ohio State University 12-11

10 teams will enter the Mohegan Sun Casino Arena and one will walk out holding all the chips Monday night. The pairings have been made, times set and rankings finalized.

Here's how it ended up (with a little free commentary from Paulie). We're holding a AAC Tournament Pick 'Em Contest. It's free, pick the nine games the way you see them and winner gets a CARDINAL COUPLE T-Shirt!

(Chicks in New York are paying top dollar for these...)

Send your selections to our e-mail address:

cardinalcouple@twc.com

 Or leave them in the comments section any day up to Friday 6 p.m. For a tie-breaker, we'll use total points by both teams in the championship game. You can see my picks at the end of this article. Have some fun! Pick nine games! Get a shirt! BE the envy of your neighbors, friends, clergy and associates...

UConn is the #1 seed. Gee, go figure...Will they win it all in Uncasville, CT? Most the chips are probably on them and they look like an odds-on favorite. Stranger things have happen though...

Louisville gets the #2 seed. They have given everyone else fits in the AAC except UConn. I see then facing the Huskies in the finals Monday night. I'm hoping for 'upset city, baby!' Cards are on some unfinished business, you see...

USF took the #3 seed away from Rutgers by beating them Monday night. They'll start against the #6 seed Saturday night. That would be Temple. USF beat them twice, but not easily, during the regular season.

Rutgers fell to the #4 seed. They get the unenviable task of facing UConn after trying to defeat the #5 seed SMU. The Scarlet Knights did defeat SMU in both regular season games but R.U. has lost three out of the last four. Wrong direction.

SMU gets the #5 seed by beating UCF yesterday. They've got Mays and she's a handful. The game against Rutgers should be a good one and tough to pick.

Temple as a #6 seed is dangerous. They'll give the Bulls a battle and would possibly face UofL in the semifinals if they can win against USF. They played UofL tough in both games.

Memphis draws the #7 slot. They'll play Houston in the nightcap Friday night. They survive that one, but the Cards await the winner. Bye, bye kitty.

Cincinnati takes the #8 position. They'll open tournament play against UCF...a team they beat by one in Orlando and ten at home. The winner gets UConn. Some reward, huh?

UCF at #9 is my upset special. They beat the Bearcats and then pull a shocker by dismantling UConn. After knocking off Rutgers in the semis...Huh? What?.Must have been dreaming

Houston has been #10 all year and that's where they enter the tournament. They'll need just one night of hotel reservations and can get back home in time to enjoy the weekend.

Friday, March 7 - First Round Game 1: No. 9 UCF vs. No. 8 Cincinnati (ESPN3) - 6 p.m.
Game 2: No. 10 Houston vs. No. 7 Memphis (ESPN3) - 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
Game 3: No. 5 Temple/SMU vs. No. 4 Rutgers (ESPN3) - Noon
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 UConn (ESPN3) - 2 p.m.
Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 Louisville (ESPN3) - 6 p.m.
Game 6: No. 6 Temple/SMU vs. No. 3 USF (ESPN3) - 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 9 - Semifinals
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner (ESPNU) -1 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (ESPNU) - 3 p.m.

Monday, March 10 - Championship
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (ESPN) - 7 p.m.

All times eastern


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Bracket to view:

OK, you've been paitent...so here are Paulie's picks.

UCF DOES KNOCK CINCINNATI ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND MEMPHIS WINS THE NIGHT CAP. RUTGERS SENDS SMU HOME SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND UCONN FINISHES UCF'S STAY. LOUISVILLE ROLLS BY MEMPHIS AND USF ADVANCES OVER TEMPLE. UCONN DISMANTLES RUTGERS IN THE SEMIS AND LOUISVILLE BEATS USF. LOUISVILLE PULLS THE UPSET OVER UCONN IN THE FINALS.

UCF, MEMPHIS, RUTGERS, UCONN, LOUISVILLE, USF, UCONN, LOUISVILLE, LOUISVILLE.

TIE-BREAKER? 145 POINTS SCORED IN THE FINAL GAME.

Bring it!!

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Women's Lacrosse Falls to Ohio State Nikki Boltja had a game-high four goals and one assist. Nikki Boltja's four goals give her 148 for her career, two shy of taking over No. 3 all-time in school history. March 4, 2014 The University of Louisville women's lacrosse team spent a majority of Tuesday's match with the lead over Ohio State until the Buckeyes' scored five-consecutive goals in the second half and held on for a 12-11 victory in Columbus, Ohio. Nikki Boltja recorded her second of four unassisted goals to open the second half and give the Cardinals (4-2) a 7-6 lead. Less than a minute later, Faye Brust delivered Louisville a two-goal cushion with a tally at the 27:54 mark. After an Ohio State goal cut the deficit to one, Kaylin Morissette scored her second of two goals at the 19:24 mark to push the lead back to two at 9-7.   Louisville's second-half lead was short lived though, as Ohio State went on a 5-0 run beginning at the 16:53 mark.   The Buckeyes' Cian Dabrowski, who finished with a hat trick, netted consecutive goals within two minutes of each other, including the game-tying goal at 14:01. Kaila Gottlick then scored an unassisted goal to push Ohio State (3-3) ahead 10-9, and the Buckeyes never trailed after that point. Ohio State tacked on two more to distance itself 12-9.   A pair of late goals by Boltja and Brust with less than three minutes in regulation brought Louisville within one at 12-11, but Ohio State's defense held the Cardinals scoreless for the final 1:13 for the victory.   Ohio State limited Louisville to just six ground balls and four draw controls in the second half, and the Cardinals didn't attempt any free-position shots in the second half.   The Cardinals also struggled in the second period, clearing the ball on just 3-of-6 occasions. Much of the first half belonged to Louisville. After allowing an Ohio State goal to open the game, Louisville compiled two three-unanswered runs in the first 17 minutes of action. Boltja tied the game at one before scores by Colleen O'Malley and Brust made it 3-1 in favor of Louisville. Morissette sparked the second run at the 20:28 mark, and Boltja followed suit with the team's second-consecutive unassisted goal. O'Malley capped the run on a pass from Boltja for Louisville's largest lead of the game, 6-2.   Ohio State made a run of its own, ending the half with four-straight scores to tie it at six. Morissette, who has been a force on the draw this season, was held to a season-low four draw controls, and the Cardinals finished on the wrong end of a 15-10 advantage in that category. Jamie Redding was credited with two assists and had a team-best four ground balls. paulie ... .. .