WNBA Draft...Observations and commentary...C-J Squad -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

PLUM #1 OVERALL PICK

The 2017 WNBA Draft has been completed. Three rounds, 36 players and 12 teams. Kelsey Plum, Ms. Everything for Washington, was the first pick and goes to San Antonio...who will definitely appreciate her shooting and leadership skills. Even though San Antonio wasn't in dire need of a point-guard, her addition will give new head coach Vickie Johnson some viable options. The Stars also added forwards Nia Coffey (Northwestern) and Schaquiila Nunn (Tennessee) in the draft. Already possessing a pretty strong front line, it'll be interesting to see how these two fit into the schematics. 

Surprising to me was the overall third pick Evelyn Akhator (Kentucky)...who will go to the Dallas Wings. Sure, she was essential for Matthew Mitchell's squad her senior season...but Courtney Paris and Aerial Powers weren't that bad for the Wings. Dallas also got two South Carolina standouts in guards Allisha Gray and Kaela Davis in the first round. With Skylar Diggins already on the roster, that could be one tough-to-beat back court. 

UK's Makayla Epps wasn't called until the third round, which was a bit surprising as well. She was the Cats "to-go" the last three seasons. The word is she was considered by some to be a disciplinary risk by some.  Headed to Chicago, she'll play for Pokey Chapman and will be one of seven guards on a roster that has Courtney Vandersloot and Cappie Pondexter. 

No Louisville WBB players were selected in the draft. It's possible Briahanna Jackson and Taylor Johnson could still receive invites to camps as free agent, walk-ons...time will tell. Cortnee Walton has no WNBA aspirations...but she could be covering the season one day as a sports reporter. 


Asia Taylor is listed on the Washington Mystics roster and we'd love to see A-Tayy get a chance to play in the WNBA again. We'd love to see her play with Elena Della Donne. Shoni Schimmel is on the New York Liberty roster. Angel McCoughtry is listed on Atlanta's roster (along with 20 other players!). Angel announced in early January that she was going to take some time off and rest this season. That narrows it down for Michael Cooper when it comes to choosing a roster, right? 

The ACC had seven players selected in the three rounds. Brittany Sykes and Alexis Peterson (Syracuse), Kai James and Leticia Romero (FSU), Lindsay Allen (Notre Dame), Adrienne Motley (Miami) and Oderah Chidom (Duke). 

Not an overly impressive class, honestly...after you get past Plum and the South Carolina trio. I do like Brittany Sykes' potential (gee, do you wonder why?) and will be watching to see if Alexis Peterson can light it up in the big league like she did for "Q".  

We'll follow the Louisville gals throughout the year and hope that B.J. and T.J. get a camp invite and do well. If not, there is money to be made in Europe and Australia...just ask Jazz Covington or A Tayy...  

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COURIER-JOURNAL GIRLS ALL-STATE TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

Jaelynn Penn, Sr. Butler
Seygan Robins. Jr. Mercer County
Lindsey Duvall, Sr. Bullitt East
Princess Stewart, Sr., Franklin County
Macey Turley, Jr., Murray
Jordan Brock, Sr. Harlan
Ally Niece, Jr. Simon Kenton
Blair Green, Jr. Harlan County
Grace Berger, Jr., Sacred Heart
MacKenzie Coleman, Sr., Metcalfe County

Coach of the Year -- Chris Souder  Mercer County

Two future Cards...not bad. 


paulie
xxxxx

Louisville Women's Basketball -- Three Named to ACC All-Academic Team....WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

JACKSON, HINES-ALLEN, WALTON ALL-ACC ACADEMIC SELECTIONS

So often, when we think of the term "student-athlete"...our thoughts are centered around points scored, runs batted in, kills, draw controls and stops. The "student" part, though...is just as essential to the makeup and daily routine of the young men and women's who are on the Belknap Campus. Term papers, final exams, independent research and class participation. Those items don't scream across the headlines of articles or get fans engaged in spirited debates. 

The Louisville women's basketball squad had three players named to the All-ACC Academic squad...Briahanna Jackson, Myisha Hines-Allen and Cortnee Walton. For Jackson, it is the second-straight season for the accolade. 

To be eligible for the award consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic team.

Professor Myisha quizzes Mariya

Hines-Allen, a sport administration major, earned Dean's list and athletic director's honor roll awards in the fall. She was also on the all-academic team her freshman year. 

Jackson, who will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, earned the all-academic award in 2015-16. She was also on the Dena's list and athletic director's honor roll in the fall. 

Walton will finish her master's degree in sport administration this spring. She received her bachelor's degree in communication in the spring of 2015. She earned ACC honor roll recognition in 2014-15 and 2015-16. 

Congratualtions to those these three shining examples of the future and all the hard-working student-athletes at UofL. Be diligent in your future role as community and business leaders and use perseverance in your quest to be the best! 



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SOFTBALL IN FOR SOME TOUGH SLEDDING IN LOUISVILLE TOURNAMENT? 

The Softball Cards (12-7) get ready for another tournament weekend at Ulmer in the Louisville Tournament with the possibility of some dicey weather to deal with. 

The Cards will play in five games beginning Friday with the forecasts not so pleasing. Friday a high of 49 is currently expected with 15-20 mph winds. Saturday a high of 33 with a 40% chance of snow arriving in the evening. Sunday the high reaches 43. 

Louisville is scheduled to face Ohio at 12:30 Friday and IUPUI at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the Cards bat against N. Iowa at 12:30 and Wright St. at 3 p.m. Sunday's action has Louisville playing N. Iowa at 12:30. 

How and if these times will be adjusted is not known yet but we'll keep you updated. Louisville Baseball also scheduled for home games at Ulmer...so let's hope Mother Nature is a diamond fan and spares Louisville any rough stuff. 


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WBB SEASON TICKETS HOLDERS GET A BREAK

In all probability, Louisville will be one of 16 hosts for 1st and 2nd round NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament games. Last year, there was quite the furor that season-ticket holders did not get right of first refusal for tickets. 

That has been changed for 2017. Season ticket holders now will have that right for the expected games at the KFC YUM! Center. 

We can't say with 100% accuracy that Coach Jeff Walz was the driving force behind this, but we'd bet that the Mad Scientist rattled a few test tubes and had a few theorems lined up for presentation to make this happen. 

This makes sense. You support a team all year along and get the season ticket package and should have the option to decide whether you want to continue that support before tickets are released to the general public and visiting teams. 

SO...

As to when the events and venues will be determined, you'll have to wait for Selection Monday, March 13th. We've never quite understood why there is such a delay between the final conference tournament games and the actual selections. Is it really that much harder to design a women's bracket than a men's? Do the women need the extra seven days rest? We think not. 

Nevertheless, the wrong done to Cardinal fans last year has been righted and it should ensure a large Cardinal contingent at the YUM! 

As to what seed the Cards will receive...that's a debatable item. The USA Today Coaches poll has Louisville #12 in the nation. The Cards are #13 with the AP. Charlie Creme's Bracketology has Louisville a #4 seed in the Oklahoma City Region. The Cards are #11 in the RPI. The Top 16 Committee has Louisville at #14 (as of Feb. 20th). Paulie's Highly Unofficial and Totally Subjective Rankings have the Cards as a #3 seed. 

Where's my dartboard? 

We'll see...four more shopping days until the broadcast. 


paulie
xxxxx

Senior Night...Saying Goodbye to Three -- Lacrosse wins at buzzer-- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS HONOR WALTON, JACKSON AND JOHNSON TONIGHT

The University of Louisville women's basketball team faces Virginia tonight in the KFC YUM! Center and will honor three seniors. 

Three seniors with very different stories. If it were a soap opera...we might call it "The New, The Brave and The Mom."  



The New would be Taylor Johnson. Coming to the Cards as a red-shirt senior, the former Loyola-Chicago point guard from Frankfort, IL. had a successful career leading the Ramblers before coming to UofL. At Louisville, she's given the Cards a season of stability at the point and shown solid defensive skills. A career high of 33 points back in 2013 against Milwaukee...her high at Louisville was eight against Georgia Tech. She earned her bachelor's degree in the spring of 2016 in film and digital media and is pursuing a master's degree in sports administration. 

The Brave goes to Briahanna Jackson. The fiery point-guard embodies the drive and determination of this Cardinal squad. From Tampa, FL  via Central Florida...Jackson took on a new role this season as a point-guard and has delivered the goods in an exemplary manner and with flash. The 2012-13 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, she's had 66 career games in double-figure scoring and put up 34 against Georgia State and Missouri State at UCF for career highs. She leads Louisville in steals this season and is a member of the 1,000 point club. Majoring in criminal justice. We hope the back spasms aren't bad enough to keep her out of the starting lineup tonight. 

The Mom is Cortnee Walton.  The lone member of the squad who has played in a NCAA Championship game...the fierce rebounder has been a stability and consistent factor since arriving on campus. Equally important is her leadership and guidance of the younger players...Cortnee is always there for advice, consultation and encouragement. With 589 career rebounds and 130 games as a Cardinal, she has overcome foot and elbow injuries. She was named to the 2015 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team for outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement. Cortnee earned her bachelor's degree in the spring of 2015 in communications and is pursuing a master's degree in sports administration. She has a bright career ahead of her in sports media...interning at WAVE TV and working with Cards Radio WKRD as a frequent guest on Howie Lindsey's LOUISVILLE FIRST  morning radio show. The Surprise, AZ native is one of the best-loved Cards in history and it's going to be tough to see her go. 

Please try to be in your seats tonight by 6:40 p.m. to celebrate these three young women's accomplishments. They have earned your respect and acknowledgement. 

As for the game...Louisville (23-6, 10-4) faces the Cavaliers for the second time this season. The Cards took an exciting 86-81 win in overtime when they visited Charlottesville back on January 5th. Myisha Hines-Allen exploded for 31 points and 17 rebounds in the contest. Mariya Moore added 23 points and Asia Durr contributed 16. Both Hines-Allen and Moore fouled out of the contest...along with two Cavalier players...a total of 50 free throws were attempted. After a sloppy first half...Trailing by six at halftime, the Cards fell behind by 15 in the third period before rallying. Dominique Toussaint sank a three at the buzzer to force the extra sessions...but the Cards sank their final seven free throws to take the win. 

Louisville will need to find a way to contain the VA four guard attack of Toussaint, Mason, Willoughby and Huland-El and have an answer for center Lauren Moses tonight. Tip is at 7 p.m.  Once again, be there early! 


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LACROSSE WINS AT THE WIRE 11-10 OVER VANDY

Hannah Koloski had six goals for the Cards in the 11-10 win over the visiting Commodores...and it was her score with four seconds left in the match that was the huge one as Louisville goes to 4-1 on the season. 

The Cards trailing 3-0 early in this affair, causing head coach Kellie Young to get a time out and rearrange some things. Koloski responded with two goals in 18 seconds and the Cards went into halftime down 5-4. 

The second half started well for Louisville with five straight scores. Koloski had two of them in the opening minutes and Louisville had a 9-5 lead with 20 minutes to play. The 'Dores battled back with a 3-0 run and tied the match with 2:30 to play. With 41 seconds left in regulation, Young got another time-out and the Cards set the play that allowed them to take a little time off the clock and give Koloski the chance to fire the game winner. 

POST GAME KELLIE YOUNG

POST GAME HANNAH KOLOSKI




PAULIE PICKS

Seven games on the ACC slate tonight! Let's take a look: 

-- Clemson at GEORGIA TECH.  The first one between these two was a nail-biter...Clemson winning 62-61 I expect nothing less in this one...and I'll flip a coin and go with GT

-- Virginia at LOUISVILLE. The Cards went to overtime at the Wahoos home. They should fare a little better on Senor Night in the "Ville" and stay in the hunt for a top four ACC finish. LOUISVILLE. 

-- North Carolina at NC State. Yes, the Tar Heels won in Chapel Hill earlier this year. NC State probably hasn't forgot that and will be looking for a bit of payback. I'd love to see UNC get the sweep...but NC State is the pick here. 

-- Boston College at NOTRE DAME.  The Eagles have been grounded most of this season and the air- traffic patterns don't look any better over South Bend. The Irish in a romp in the Purcell Pavilion. ND.

-- Wake Forest at SYRACUSE. Buoyed by the win over NC State in Raleigh, the Trees may give the Orange all they want in the un-airconditioned Carrier Dome. It probably won't be enough, though, on 'Cuse Senior Night. SYRACUSE.

-- MIAMI at Virginia Tech. Tech played the Canes to a seven point loss in Miami. Tech has lost 10 straight in a row, though, and probably won't contain the "big winds" tonight....even on senior Night. MIAMI.

-- Pittsburgh at FLORIDA ST. The Panthers need a win to stay alive for a first round ACC Tournament bye. They won't find it tonight, though, against a FSU squad that may be looking ahead to a season-ender against Notre Dame. FSU.




thanks for the birthday wishes, y'all!
paulie
xxxxx

Jackson out for UNC game...Softball starts ACC/BIG10 showdown today -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

BRIAHANNA JACKSON OUT FOR UNC GAME

The University of Louisville women's basketball team will be without the services of red-shirt senior Briahanna Jackson for the Sunday game against UNC. According to team sources, she did attempt practice earlier in the week but tweaked her ailing back again during drills and will not play against the TarHeels.

Backs are a tricky thing. It is best for the player to be 100% ready to go to for their own personal health and fitness and the Cards will take that precaution now. Hopes reportedly are now to rest her until possibly the ACC or NCAA Tournament...or when she's 100% and in no pain. 

Here's hoping the flashy, hard-working point guard gets well and can rejoin the team soon. A chance for someone to step up and earn that playing time and another probable chance for Myisha Hines-Allen to live out her "I'm a guard" fantasy. 

ACC WBB THURSDAY

Florida State was the big news last night...falling at Virginia 60-51. That leaves Notre Dame alone at the top of the conference standings. Shaq Thomas with just 19 minutes for the 'Noles...leaving the game with 2:27 left in the third quarter with a shouder injury and FSU leading. It turns out she's done for the year now. In other games...

FSU Women's Hoops ‏@fsuwbb  16h16 hours ago

For those not watching, keep in mind Shakayla Thomas is out for the rest of the game with an injury. #Noles trail 50-48 with 3:15 left


Then...this:

FSU Women's Hoops ‏@fsuwbb  3m3 minutes ago

@CardinalCouple @_TomBlock We do not know the extent of her injury. We will make sure to update fans when we know.

-- NC State handled Boston College 70-58
-- Notre Dame with a close win at Clemson 84-80
-- North Carolina gets the "W" at home against Georgia Tech 89-88 
-- Pitt beats Virginia Tech 72-64
-- Duke romps on the road at Wake Forest 79-53. 

Louisville, Syracuse and Miami were idle. 


SOFTBALL OPEN TODAY IN ACC/BIG10 CHALLENGE

Cards play two today in Chapel Hill in the ACC/Big10 Challenge. 


Ohio State at 11 a.m. and Purdue around 1:30 p.m. 

No Internet except StatBroadcast on these that we know of.  Great. I just love StatBroadcast. 

Former Cards pitcher Shelby McCombs is now on the Buckeye roster. I wonder if they'll hand her the ball to face her old teammates? 


• Louisville brings a 4-1 record into the weekend after opening the season at UNLV's Sportco Kick Off Classic. The Cards defeated Southern Utah 17-3, CSU Bakersfield 13-2 and Indiana State 6-5 in nine innings before falling 5-3 to UNLV. Louisville wrapped up the weekend with a 1-0 win against Indiana State.
• Junior shortstop Sidney Melton has had at least one hit in every game this season and leads the team with a .526 batting average and nine runs.
• Senior pitcher Maryssa Becker has produced a team-best 13 RBIs with two homers and two doubles.
• Becker (3-1) also leads the Cards in the circle with a 1.58 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 17.2 innings of work.
• UofL is receiving votes in the most recent ESPN.com/USA Softball and the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches' polls. 
• Louisville was picked to finish second in the ACC Preseason Coaches' poll.
•Eight starters are back from last year's team including All-ACC selections Becker, senior outfielder Jordan McNary and sophomore pitcher Megan Hensley.
• The Cards return their top six hitters from last season, all of whom batted above .300.
• Louisville's returning players accounted for 33 of its 37 home runs in 2016.
•Becker has been named to several preseason watch lists, including College Softball Madness, DI Softball News and Fastpitch News. She was also featured among ESPNW's top 25 NCAA Softball players (at No. 15).


paulie
xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball --Cards vs Virginia Tech Tonight... Thursday Cardinal Couple -

Cards vs Hokies

Walz and crew are back out on the road for a game tonight.  This time with a visit to Blacksburg, VA to tangle with the Virginia Tech Hokies.

I was trying to come up with some clever play on words with "Hokies", or that their mascot is a turkey, but I'm just coming up blank this morning.  "The Cards are hoping to gobble up lot's of points on the Hokies?"  Pretty cheesy.

Clever wordplay or not, VT has had a pretty season, coming into the matchup 16-7 overall.  They swept their non-conference slate, though to be fair, without being too terribly tested.  Probably the best wins in the bunch were to a pair of SEC schools, Tennessee and Auburn.  Otherwise, you're looking at wins over the likes of UNC Asheville, Georgetown, and UCF, which, while not cupcakes, don't present a serious threat to a team of VTs calibre.

The conference has been a little harsher on the Hokies, with the Blacksburg folk sitting at 3-7 in
conference at the moment.  Loses to Miami, in a reasonably close game; Duke, by a fairly sizable margin; and Virginia.  The last of those three was a serious drubbing, with a final score of 76-27.  The VT conference wins came against Wake Forest, Clemson, and UNC.

Overall, this paints a picture of a team that really shouldn't provide a serious threat to the Cards, but UofL does need to come out and play solid and consistent ball.

Good News, Bad News

Cardinal Couple has received reports that Myisha Hines-Allen is back to full speed, and has had a couple of very good practices with the team.  The squad will certainly be glad to have a solid contributor back in the lineup and ready to go.

Alas, the bad news...

After seeing Briahanna Jackson take a seat for much of the game at Notre Dame with reported back spasms, the report is that BJ didn't make the trip to VA, with further tests planned.  We, of course, hope for the best, and not just because her play alone is worth the price of admission.

Off the Court Good News

The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the top 30 players for the Women's College Player of the Year Naismith Award.  From the UofL squad, Asia Durr, and Myisha Hines-Allen made the list.

This list will be further narrowed to 10 on March 2nd.

To re-enforce the idea of the ACC being the current best women's basketball conference in the nation, the conference got the highest number of players named to the list, with a total of 9.

Paulie Picks

The master of disaster when it comes to choosing sides in ACC contests offers these seven selections for Thursday and Friday.

NORTH CAROLINA over Boston College. A home game for the Heels against the cellar-dweller of the ACC.  UNC.

Clemson at PITTSBURGH. We'll go with the home team again. Clemson has looked better as of late but the Pete is a tough place to play. PITT.

NC STATE at Georgia Tech. The Engineers hope to construct a victory over the invading Wolves...but the Pack should huff and puff and blow that house down.  NC STATE

Virginia at MIAMI. The Cavs go sword-fighting on the beaches of Florida but we think the Big Wind should blow them back out to sea.  MIAMI

LOUISVILLE at Virginia Tech. The red birds are hungry for a win and should feast on these Gobblers while doing the Hokey-Pokey.  LOUISVILLE

Wake Forest at FLORIDA STATE. The Demon Deaconesses try to cast a spell in FSU's happy hunting ground but they're liable to get speared tonight.  FLORIDA ST.

In a rare Friday matchup,.. SYRACUSE takes their so-called "best guard combo in the nation" to Durham to face another pretty good guard contingent. "Q" wins a close one. SYRACUSE.

Paulie proudly informs us his record is 61-16 which is good for 79,2%

-- 

JMcA

Louisville women's basketball -- Cards fall to Irish 85-66 -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

DESPITE DURR'S 31...CARDS FOLD AGAINST NOTRE DAME.

Durr and Moore combine for 49 in loss to #7 Notre Dame

Notre Dame used a second quarter 31-14 scoring advantage to take a 22-point halftime lead over the #12 Louisville women's basketball squad and went on to a convincing 85-66 triumph over the depleted Cards...who got only five minutes from Briahanna Jackson (back spasms) and a minute from Myisha Hines-Allen (knee injury). For the second-straight contest, the opponent shot 50% against Louisville and the Irish committed a scant three turnovers in 40 minutes of play Thursday night in South Bend. 

Asia Durr turned in her second highest scoring performance of the season with 31 points..on 10 of 18 shooting. Mariya Moore, who was on the floor for 39 minutes along with Durr, was the Cards other double-figure performer with 18 points. 

The Cards started this one pretty decently...holding a 10-6 lead with 5:38 left in the first...after Durr hit a jumper for her third basket of the game. Louisville would hold the lead until Kathryn Westbeld sank two straight jumpers from the home team to give them a 15-12 lead. By then, Jackson was on the bench with back spasms and Hines-Allen tried a minute of hobbling up and down the court before she was returned to her court-side seat. The Cards would never lead again.  Notre Dame held a 19-14 advantage...going on a 10-2 run to finish the first ten minutes.
  

Notre Dame (22-3, 10-1) benefited from a 11-2 start to the second quarter to take a  five point-lead to a 32-16 advantage after Lindsey Allen made a break-away layup with over six minutes left until halftime. UND would steadily increase than margin as the half wound down. Despite two threes and a eight-point quarter from Moore...the Cards found themselves behind 50-28 at the intermission buzzer. UofL had been outscored 31-14 in the second and had nine turnovers...Notre Dame had yet to commit one. 

Durr tried to shoot the Cards back into contention with three third quarter threes and 13 points...she and Moore combined for 18 of the Cards 21 points in the quarter...but Louisville was only able to scratch the surface of the Irish lead and the Cards trailed 67-49 after three. 

Durr, Moore and Ciera Johnson were able to cut the deficit in the fourth...twice the Cards narrowed the Irish advantage to 12 in the final frame. A Moore jumper set the tally at 73-61 with 5:30 to play in regulation...but Notre Dame would use a final 12-5 run to keep the Cards from getting any closer and get the 85-66 win.

Disappointing to see the Irish gather their 10th straight win over the Cards. Louisville actually held a 38-35 scoring advantage in the second half...but the damage had been done early and UofL could not come back from it.


HOW DID FRED DO? 

Free Throws -- The Cards had nine chances and made 12 of them for 75%. Durr was 8 for 10 from the charity stripe and Ciera Johnson 1-2. If it's over 70%, we award the capital "F". 

Rebounding -- The Cards lost the battle of the boards 35-33. A little more success from Johnson could have helped here...in 26 minutes, the Cardinal post only had two. A deficit usually mean no letter-awarded and that will hold true here. 

Effort/Execution -- The Cards played pretty good and hustling basketball for about 28 minutes. It was the collapse to end the first and in the second where it looked like Louisville couldn't accomplish much of anything and Notre Dame could do not wrong. 45.5% shooting isn't bad...but 16 turnovers a bit too high. We'll award a small case "e"...mainly to the heroic efforts from Durr and Moore trying to save this game largely by themselves. 

Defense -- Allowing 85 points on 50% shooting, forcing only three turnovers and getting only two steals are not impressive stats. Notre Dame seemed to be able to knock down the mid-range jumper whenever they felt like it. We can't award a letter for that effort. 


FINAL FRED COUNT: F-_-e-_



WHAT WE LIKED

Asia on fire. An incredible effort from the Douglasville, GA sophomore. You can point to several aspects in this one on why the Cards lost...but her name doesn't come up in any of those. Mariya also showed some grit and gumption with four threes. They were 75% of the Louisville scoring offense last night. 49 last night and 42 against NC State for the duo. 

Fighting back. It would have been easy for the Cards to just go through the motions when they were down 18 points going into the final period...but they showed a little pride and desire and got close a couple of times in making the contest a single digit affair. 


WHAT NEEDS WORK

The "C" word. Consistency. We hate beating a dead horse here...but the second quarter effort was hard to watch. Will this squad ever be able to put together 40 minutes of solid basketball? 

Diminished assets. Playing Notre Dame in South Bend is a daunting task in itself. Without two starters, it becomes a horror story. We hope that B.J.'s back gets better and Myisha's knee improves. Quickly.

Who wants that role?  Certainly...there were chances for Cardinal reserves to step up last night. Besides Ciera Johnson and a bit of Taylor Johnson...no one was able to lay claim to those roles. Jeff Walz wants eight players that are willing to put in the effort and work on a nightly basis. By our count, as of last night...he's still four short currently. 


SO... 

Getting beat on the road in ACC play by the #7 team in the nation is certainly no disgrace. It's just the manner in which it happened. Notre Dame certainly laid claim to being a Final Four contender last night. Five players in double figures mirrors what we said in Monday's article...that they can come as you in many directions.

We hope the loss serves as a "wake-up call" to the Cards by showing them what is needed to be a national title contender. Yes, not having two starters definitely hindered the Cards chances. But...there is too much potential talent on this team for that to be a serious setback. 

It comes down to this...who wants to be that step-up performer in the final five games, ACC Tournament and NCAA play?  


THEY SAID IT

POST GAME MUFFET MCGRAW


paulie
xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball -- Heartbreaker. Cards fall 72-70 in overtime -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

SPENCER'S BUZZER BEATER DOWNS CARDS

Miah Spencer hit a last-second jumper at the end of overtime to lead NC State past Louisville 72-70 on Thursday night at the KFC YUM! Center. 

The Cards led 24-10 after the first period...hitting four threes...but managed to score only seven points over the next 10 minutes and saw that lead drop to 31-28 by halftime. More poor shooting in the third and Louisville found themselves trailing 52-45 going into the fourth. 

Louisville tied the contest at 59-59 with two Asia Durr free throws and once again at 61-61 with six seconds remaining on two more Durr free throws to force the extra session. 

The Cards took an early lead in the extra session, the contest went back and forth but Louisville gave the ball back to NC State with 13 seconds on the clock on a shot-clock violation with the score knotted at 70-70.

After a time out, NC State in-bounded the ball and Spencer's desperation jumper at the buzzer went off the backboard, all around the rim and finally through the hoop for the win. 72-70. A heartbreaking loss for the Cards. 

Durr finished with 22 to lead Louisville...11 of those in the fourth quarter and four more in overtime. Mariya Moore ended with 20 and Briahanna Jackson added 11 to close out the Cards double-figure scorers. 

Myisha Hines-Allen did not play in the contest because of an unspecified knee injury. 

A back-and-forth exciting game that either team could have won. Sometimes, you just get beat on the final shot. Louisville was out-scored 40-20 in the paint. A telling stat. 


32.4% from the floor isn't going to win you many games...especially when your opponent goes for 50%. Credit to Moore and Durr for carrying the load and Briahanna Jackson's all-over-the-court hustle. Cortnee Walton and 11 rebounds. Louisville out-scored 40-20 in the paint. An exciting...but ultimately disappointing game. 


HOW DID FRED DO? 

Raider great wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff

Free Throws. The Cards were 19-25 from the charity stripe and that's 76% which gets them the capital "F". Durr sank 10-12 and Moore went 6-8. 

Rebounding. The Cards were out-rebounded 42-40. The margin was 39-31 at the end of regulation. Despite Cortnee Walton's 11, we can't award a letter here.

Effort/Execution. The Cards tried, no doubt about it, but as good as those first 10 minutes were...the next 20 were abysmal. A strong finish for UofL and creating overtime will get them a small case "e". 

Defense. NC State shot 50% and, as mentioned, won the points-in-the-paint battle in a big way. Despite the Cards creating 15 turnovers and getting seven steals...the bottom line is that they lost. No letter awarded when you lose. 

FINAL FRED COUNT:  F-_-e-_


WHAT WE LIKED

A nice start. The Cards shredded the NC State zone in the first quarter with four threes and played wonderful defense...holding the Wolfpack to no buckets in the final 7:03 of the initial period. 

Fighting back. Louisville overcame a seven point deficit in the final three minutes to force overtime. Backs against the wall...they made free throws and held NC State to two points in the final 180 seconds. 

Briahanna Jackson. Getting knocked to the floor constantly and elbowed to the face...the diminutive dynamo registered 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists and no turnovers in 38 minutes. Guts. 


WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE

No Myisha. You play with what you have available and Walz tried several options in her place. None of them really stepped forward and filled in sufficiently for her. Get well, MHA. 

Consistency. Two good quarters and two not-so-good quarters. Not the trappings of an elite team. Way too lenient in allowing NC State to score inside and letting a huge lead turn into a ten-point deficit at one point in the game. 


SO...

I had an article written and ready to post and then deleted it. We promote the joy and excitement of Louisville women's sports here and I felt my initial take wasn't in that vein. This came down to a buzzer beater. A hard way to lose. The Cards competed, fell short and take a loss to a team that has already defeated Duke, Notre Dame and Florida State. It's hard for me to write an article after a UofL loss. Even harder when it comes in the fashion that it did Thursday night. 

Give the winners credit. They won on the road in the ACC against another top-ten opponent. On a night where Super Heroes were the fan theme and promotion...Mighty Mouse Miah stepped up and saved the day for the visitors. 


THEY SAID IT

ASIA DURR POSTGAME COMMENTS


JEFF WALZ POSTGAME COMMENTS

NC ST WES MOORE AND MIAH SPENCER POSTGAME


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AROUND THE ACC

Florida State had no trouble with the Boston College Eagles...rolling to a 85-53 win in Beantown. They remain tied for the conference lead with a 9-1 ACC record and go to 21-2 for the season.

Notre Dame travelled to Virginia Tech and left with a 76-59 triumph over the Hokies. They share the top of the conference standings with FSU at 9-1 and are now 21-3 after two dozen outings. 

Duke held court at Cameron against the Clemson Tigers and dealt the felines a 65-32 drubbing. They move into a third-place tie with three other teams with a 7-3 ACC record and go to 19-4 on the season. 

Syracuse hosted the Pitt Panthers in the Carrier Dome and romped to a 93-65 victory. They join the logjam for third at 7-3 and improve to 16-7 for the year. 

Virginia snuck by Georgia Tech 65-64 in Charlottesville. With the win they go to 4-5 in conference play and 15-7 overall .

Miami brought a Hurricane force to Winston-Salem and toppled the Wake Forest trees 79-56. They sit at 6-4 in the ACC and 17-5 overall.

PAULIE'S PICKS went 6-1 Thursday...the only blemish being Louisville's loss to NC State. The season stats are 57 wins and 13 losses...good for 81.4% for the year.  


paulie
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paulie
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