Monday Cardinal Couple -- Gibbs, Slaughter thwart Mustangs upset bid 81-66

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Five Cards in double figures in win over SMU

It's often said that the mark of a good team is the aspect of an opponent not knowing who or where the "boom" is going to come from.

The University of Louisville got explosions from Tia Gibbs and Nita Slaughter yesterday in a 81-66 win over SMU yesterday in Dallas, TX at the Moody Coliseum in front of 1650 white-clad fans.

Tia Gibbs had 20 points on 7-10 shooting and Nita Slaughter added 17...two of five Cards that reached scoring double figures...as Louisville erased a two-point halftime deficit and led by 20 at one point before corralling the Mustangs by 15 points.

It was the third loss in a row for SMU and 11th. straight win for the Cards 

The Cards shot 55% in the final twenty minutes.

Louisville used a 11-0 run shortly after the final half started to erase any doubt that SMU would pull off the upset. Trailing 37-33, the Cards got a Shoni Schimmel three and Sara Hammond layup to take the lead. After Hammond drew a charge to get the ball back in UofL's hands, Schimmel and Slaughter drained threes and SMU suddenly found themselves down 44-37 with 17:23 to go. 

The run extended to a 21-7 advantage when Slaughter buried another trifecta to make it 54-44 and UofL would eventually push that to a 20 point advantage with 3:41 remaining before settling for the 15 point win.

It wasn't easy for the Cards in the first twenty.

SMU led most of the way early and pushed their lead to 32-24 when Korina Baker sank a three with 5:30 showing on the clock. Louisville responded with a 9-1 run to tie it at 33...Gibbs getting seven of those points.

For SMU, Keena Mays led the way with 20 points...but couldn't explain the second half collapse of the Mustangs:

" I don't know if it was a lack of focus, a loss of focus, but they (UOFL) came out shooting threes and came out more aggressive. We had to come out with the same energy that we had in the first half and it just didn't happen for us."


The Cards sank 10 of their 24 long range bombs...Shoni hitting two and Tia and Nita four each. The Cards even shone at the charity stripe...sinking 17 out of 21 for 81%.

Coach Walz was complimentary about Nita's big game:

" It's big for our program and big for the ball club. She's felt good conditioning-wise the past two weeks, but there's a big difference between running sprints and being on the treadmill to getting out there and getting your game legs. When you've got to stop and get your composure and knock down a shot, it takes awhile. I still think she's about a week away from getting back into her prime."


That could spell trouble for Memphis...who visits the KFC YUM! Center on Jan. 26th.

Besides Nita and Tia, Shoni hit double figures with 12 points...Asia Taylor contributed 11 and Sara posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Walz used Bria Smith (7 points), Hammond, Taylor, Nita, Shoni and Tia most of the way...Emmonnie Henderson picked up four points, two rebounds and four fouls in just five minutes of court time.

Cortnee Walton ( 8 minutes -- 0 points), Megan Deines ( 7 minutes -- 0 points) and Monny Niamke ( 7 minutes -- 0 points) also hit the court for the Cards. Nita drew the start yesterday in place of Monny. 

It was another sit-and-watch event for Jude Schimmel (ankle) and Shawnta Dyer (knee).

The Cards  (18-1, 6-0) travel south to Houston next for a Tuesday 8 P.M. tilt against the Coogs. No TV for this one (yet) as far as we know.

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THE FINAL WORD

ANOTHER EVENT WHERE THE CARDS PLAY TO THE LEVEL OF THEIR OPPONENT EARLY AND THEN USE A DOMINATING RUN TO CREATE SOME DISTANCE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO SEE TIA AND NITA STEP UP WITH HUGE GAMES. THESE ARE TWO PLAYERS THAT WILL BE ESSENTIAL IF THE CARDS ARE GOING TO CHALLENGE THE HUSKIES THIS SEASON AND THEN ULTIMATELY GO TO NASHVILLE.

THREE STATS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME:

1) LOUISVILLE CONTINUES TO MASTER THE BOARDS AGAINST OPPONENTS. A 43-30 ADVANTAGE IN REBOUNDS. COACH WALZ LIKES REBOUNDING. IT GIVES HIS PLAYERS A CHANCE TO SCORE.

2) 45.8% FROM THE FLOOR. THE CARDS HAD BEEN STRUGGLING OF LATE TO REACH THE 40% MARK. TO DO THIS, ON THE ROAD AND AGAINST A TEAM THAT HELD LOUISVILLE TO JUST 71 POINTS IN THE KFC YUM! CENTER IS IMPRESSIVE.

3) 17-21 FROM THE LINE. WE HARP ON IT HERE. COACH WALZ HARPS ON IT. A 70% RATE ON UNGUARDED SHOTS IS A MANDATE. SARA HIT ALL SIX OF HER ATTEMPTS SUNDAY, BRIA NAILED THREE OUT OF FOUR.

LOUISVILLE COULD EASILY GO INTO THE RUTGERS TRIP 20-1 AND 8-0 IN CONFERENCE. WE SHOULD PROBABLY AVOID LOOKING AHEAD...AND MEMPHIS VISITS SUNDAY AFTER KNOCKING OFF RUTGERS LAST WEEK.  A 20-1 START WOULD BE THE BEST IN LOUISVILLE WBB HISTORY, THOUGH, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CARDS COULD BE 23-1 WHEN THE CARDS VISIT UCONN ON SUNDAY 2/9/14.

BUT...WE'LL VOW TO WATCH THIS TEAM UNDER THE 'ONE DAY CONTRACT' THAT RICK PITINO SPEAKS OF. HOUSTON NEXT.

PAULIE
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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- WBB plays Mays & SMU today

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Rematch in Dallas against league-leading scorer

The University of Louisville womens basketball team begins their two-game two step through Texas with a stop in Dallas this afternoon against Rhonda Rompola's SMU Mustangs. The Cards currently sit #5 in the nation and haven't lost a game since falling to the Kentucky Wildcats on Dec. 1st. in Memorial Barnyard.

It's been a reversal of fortunes for league-leading scorer Keena Mays and her horsey teammates lately...going on the road and taking losses to Temple (GO OWLS!) and Rutgers. They're probably happy to be back in Moody Coliseum and today's game will be shown on ESPNU and ESPN3.com. Tip is 1:30 EST.

Last time out, Mays poured in 23 points but it wasn't enough to lead her Mustangs past Temple. She was one of four SMU players to reach double figures in the 80-66 loss. SMU challenged the Owls for 27 minutes but a 18-4 run by the Philly school over an eight minute stretch proved too much for Rompola's crew to overcome.

The Mustangs are 11-6 on the season and 2-4 in AAC play. They visited the KFC YUM! Center on Dec. 29th. and were disposed of 71-51 by UofL. It was a game where the Cards kept track of and shut down Mays...Akil Simpson led SMU in scoring with 14 points and Kiara Perry added 13.

Head coach Rompola and assistant Lisa Dark have been on the Dallas campus for 23 years and has taken SMU to the NCAA Tournament seven times. They've been crowned conference tournament champions twice...winning the WAC in 1999 and C-USA in 2008.

Louisville (17-1, 5-0) enters the game after a 19 point win over UCF in the KFC YUM! Center on Weds. night. The contest was decided by two late half Louisville runs...a 17-3 first half finish that saw Jeff Walz implement the "out-of-the-box" 3-on-5 strategy and a 9-1 final half finish after the Golden Girls had pulled within 11.

Big doings in the Moody today...fans encouraged to dress accordingly for the announced "white out". No word on whether Coach Walz will be setting the opposition crowd up with $2 Lone Star beers...but after corralling the Mustangs this afternoon...let's hope the team gets a chance to hit one of the many excellent Barbecue joints in and around Dallas. Lockhart SmokeHouse and Pecan Ridge are two of Dallas' finest and the beef ribs at either are most excellent.

It is another trek for Louisville into a foreign arena with a bulls eye painted squarely on the back of the Cardinal jersey. SMU draws less than 2000 a game and with the NFC and AFC Championships being played today...it is doubtful they'll top that for attendance. Even if the Cowboys are out of the running. 

Coach Walz will be reminding his high-flying Birds of Mays' scoring potential and that Simpson and Perry can light it up as well. We'd love to see a repeat of the post-Christmas bash these two had...if the Cards can hold the horses to 51 points again, we've no doubt they'll add an 18th. victory to the ledger.

Actually, we don't see Louisville losing this one even if Walz plays 3-on-5 most of the second half. As long as the three are Bria, Shoni and Sara. It'll also be interesting to see how "lil sis" and her ankle are doing and if she hits the court.

We'll have a full report of the contest in Monday's CARDINAL COUPLE. We'll offer the write-up to the poignant JENNY O'BRYAN and see if she nibbles.

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Saturday's edition of CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO is now up on the SoundCloud over at CHR. Jeff and Paulie discuss hoops, more hoops, a bit of hoops, some hoops and a dash of swimming and track. Click the link below and immerse your ears.

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE HAS A WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

paulie
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Friday Cardinal Couple -- The AAC and thoughts on Bobby and UofL

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- AAC WBB

- He's back...

 

 

No real surprises in the AAC WBB stats. Louisville, UConn and Rutgers sit atop the standings. As of 1/2/14...they were the only undefeated schools in conference play. All three won Saturday.

The conference has nine American Players of the Week. Shoni was the most recent one...her first time on the list. Keena Mays (SMU) has been awarded the honor three times. Breanna Stewart, Bria Hartley and Stef Dolson at UConn once each.  Jeanise Randolph (UConn) and Betinjah Laney (Rutgers) have been selected once also.

Mays leads the conference in scoring. Shoni leads in threes. Alisia Jenkins (USF) is the leading rebounder and Dolson has the only triple-double this year.

Games to keep an eye on Saturday and Sunday? We'll tackle Louisville at USF, SMU at Rutgers, Temple at UConn and Houston at Cincinnati.

Got two good interviews planned for Saturday radio. I'll be talking with Sandy Pearsall and Kellie Young. After all, softball and lacrosse aren't far away!

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So...Bobby?

Yeah...we've been getting e-mail about the return of Bobby Petrino as the UofL football head coach. We are a women's sports site, make NO mistake about it. But, if you want my opinion about it? OK...Here goes.

I started attending UofL Football games in 1971. Me and my dearly departed Dad. We did the unthinkable thing back then of going to a game three hours early and eating chicken and drinking beverages in the Cardinal Stadium parking lot. They call it tailgaiting now. We didn't know the name for it, we just liked it

The security folks at the KFEC didn't understand it. They thought we were nuts. It was a bonding thing between me and my Dad. A couple of guys talking about life. There were others out there too, so I'm not going to pull an Al Gore and say we invented it. It had been going on in the SEC for years.

This was the MVC. The Missouri Valley Conference. We had home games against Tampa, Drake, Wichita State and Southern Illinois. They weren't well attended. You could get free tickets at the Convenient Food Marts. They're not around anymore.

A guy named Lee Corso was the head coach then. He had an impressive linebacker named Tom Jackson. They were both fun to watch. They still are...as talking heads for ESPN football coverage.

I've been a UofL fan ever since. All sports. Countless road trips. Watching women's basketball before men's games in Freedom Hall. Seeing Kristin Mattox sink shots from all over the court and literally being too tired to walk off the court at Cardinal Arena after beating DePaul. Going to Manual High School to see Jackie Spencer and team defeat Florida State.

Bobby Petrino created a lot of happy times for watching games when he was here previously. He's made some bad decisions...no, check that...stupid life choices. He says he's a changed man.

I'm all about second chances. I've benefited from them.

Put your actions where your mouth is...Bobby. Show us. Do well and stay out of trouble. Keep the momentum Charlie Strong started going. Enjoy time with your golfing daughter here at UofL. Don't betray the trust. 

Don't be the butthead you used to be.

If we are your "destination"...then do the things a permanent resident does. Catch a few WBB games. Show up at the new Soccer Stadium. Talk to Jeff Walz, Sandy Pearsall and Karen Fergsuon Dayes.

They get it. I hope you do, too.

paulie
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Monday Cardinal Couple -- Streaky Cards take 71-51 win over SMU

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Shoni's 18 leads Louisville past stubborn SMU

Senior Louisville guard Shoni Schimmel scored 18 points and Bria Smith and Sara Hammond joined her in double figures as Louisville women's basketball improved their record to 13-1 with a 71-51 win over SMU Sunday afternoon in the KFC YUM! Center.

It took the Cards awhile to get untracked in the first game of the AAC regular schedule. Although UofL was having success in keeping conference-leading scorer guard Kenna Mays quiet, forward Akil Simpson was having a career game against Louisville. Simpson scored the first bucket of the game, her jumper pulled SMU within two at 10-8 at the 15:18 mark and she had 10 of the Mustang's first 13 points after two free throws with 11:53 on the clock to cut Louisville's lead to 14-13.

SMU would still be challenging the Cards with 7:59 left in the first half...a Kiara Perry layup gave the Dallas visitors a 23-21 lead.

The final eight minutes of the half belonged to Louisville.

Three Sara Hammond scores and four points from Emmonnie Henderson pushed Louisville out to a 34-26 lead over the next five minutes. Sara and "E" would score again and back-to-back Shoni threes had the Cards ahead 44-30 with 84 ticks left on the clock. Megan Deines converted on a plus-one to give UofL their largest lead of the half at 47-30 and the Cards took a 47-32 lead to the locker room.

Louisville had held the 20 point + Mays to four points on 2-7 shooting...and had shut down Simpson after her big start.

The Cards continued the hot streak when the final half began. A 10-0 run to begin play, keyed by three straight Bria Smith scores, had Louisville comfortably ahead 57-32 with five minutes gone. The Cards captured the next five minute segment 6-1 and Cortnee Walton's layup put Louisville in command 63-33 with 10:52 left in the game.

SMU finally hit their first basket of the second half 18 seconds later and actually outscored the Cards 18-8 the rest of the way...but it was too little, too late for the Mustangs...who were plagued by 27.6% shooting in the final twenty.

Mays finished with just seven points on 3-13 shooting...going 1-6 from beyond the arc. The Mustangs did force Louisville into 18 turnovers for the game but went a woeful 1-18 from three-point range.

Jeff Walz distributed the court time evenly Sunday...no Card getting more than 29 minutes or less than 11. Guard Monny Niamke continued to impress off the bench...she's the best defensive stopper of Louisville guards and a little more time spent learning the Louisville offensive patterns and sets would bode well for her.

Emmonnie Henderson gave a strong performance with six points in 11 minutes to lead the bench...if, in fact, it can be said that there are any "bench" players on this team. Walz brought in Niamke, Walton, Dyer and Gibbs with just 4:01 gone in the first half and all the Cardinals played at least five minutes in the first twenty. The liberal substitution pattern continued in the final twenty...Asia Taylor, Walton, Niamke, Deines and Henderson were on the court when the game ended.

Louisville heads to Philly next for a 4 p.m. New Year's Day game against the Temple Owls.

THE FINAL WORD

- Shoni Schimmel passed Monique Reid and Kristin Mattox Sunday to become fourth on the all-time scoring list for Louisville. She's had a great last two games...averaging 24 points per contest. Next, Jazz Covington...68 points away.

- The Cards were outscored 7-1 in the final four minutes of Sunday's game...the final three of those minutes with the Schimmel sisters on the bench.

- Puzzling is Asia Taylor's recent performances. After a commanding start to the season, she produced only four points and four rebounds in sixteen minutes.

- Two Cards finished with double-doubles Sunday...Bria Smith and Sara Hammond. It was Smith's third career double-double and career record in rebounding with 11.

- Stay away from the TV, Jeff.

When asked if he caught either of the UofL games Saturday, Coach Walz explained he was at a family Christmas get-together and saw bits and pieces of the games. He didn't catch any football until it was 22-2. Maybe we can get him to quit watching men's basketball in entirety.

- Louisville's 24 points in the second half were the lowest point production in a half this season. Maybe they were worried about the Bears game? To their credit, they did hold SMU to just 19 points in the final half.


Paulie

Cardinals open first (and last) season of league play in the AAC today

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

The women’s basketball team opens conference play in the American Athletic Conference today at the KFC YUM Center with a 3:00 tip against Southern Methodist University (SMU).  The Cardinals are entering the game on a 5 game winning streak and a 12-1 overall record.   The Mustangs of SMU have a 9-2 overall record. 

Senior guard Keena Mays is coming off a huge game, scoring 32 points to lead the Mustangs in an overtime victory against North Texas.  Mays is also the leading scorer in the AAC averaging 20.9 points per game.  No doubt, the Cardinals scouting report will focus heavily on Mays.   Supporting Mays on the court in scoring is senior forward Akil Simpson who is averaging 14.1 ppg and is also the leading rebounder with 8.3 per game. 

The Mustangs lone elite matchup of the season they were crushed by Tennessee.  In that game Mays was held to just 12 points while Simpson 11.  The Mustangs lost to Tennessee by 40 points. 

Unfortunately for the Mustangs I do not see this game much differently.   The Cardinals should dominate from the tip.  One could likely expect Henderson, Niamke and Deines logging extended minutes in this one.   In my opinion, this is likely to be the kind of game where the Cardinals can really work on specific aspects of their individual game, as well as specific aspects of team play.  In recent games the Cardinals have been focusing specifically on passing in and out of the post and working hard to manage the ball and limit turnovers. 

The team is reconvening after a brief holiday that break that likely saw most of the team headed home for the Holidays.  They were to report back to campus on Thursday, December 26. 

The Cardinals will hit the road for a midweek matchup against the Temple Owls on New Years Day.  They will return back home next Saturday for a match against Cincinnati.    We hope to see you at The YUM Center!

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The men’s basketball team had a tall order in Lexington and fell just shy on the day losing by 7 to the Cats.  National Championships are not won, or lost, in December.  Bragging rights go to the Cats for a sweep of the men’s and women’s team this season.

The highlight of the day was the dominant performance of the football team pounding Miami, winning the Russell Athletic Bowl, handedly.  Cardinal fans now await the announcement of Teddy Bridgewater, will he stay or will he go?     While I would love for Teddy to usher the football program in the to ACC, with a degree under his belt (how impressive is that, by the way?), I expect we will see Teddy in the NFL Draft. 

Jenny O'Bryan

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EDITOR NOTE

Teddy Bridgewater may have put on the most spectacular performance by a UofL quarterback in a bowl game ever. Some would counter with Browning Nagel in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl...but "Teddy Bowlgame" shone on a night where the Miami defenders mirrored the cartoon characters a few miles away at Disney World. Goofy. Donald Duck. Mickey Mouse and Dumbo.

Teddy needs to go. Best to walk out in the white hot spotlight when you can. (See Brian Brohm and Steve Kragthorpe as a "not to do" example). Maybe Devante Parker goes, too. It does not matter. Coach Charlie will reload, rebuild and make the Cards competitive in the ACC. I wonder how the 'Canes would vote now about accepting Louisville into the league?

Good luck Teddy! As a friend remarked last night, "So, if Teddy goes...can we consider it 'water under the bridge'?".  Hmmm...more like a raging river headed to the vast seas, maybe.

paulie



Jenny O'Bryan

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