Cards prepare for post-Thanksgiving road trip

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Lady Cards head to Florida for two

-Watson's column: Favorite foods for Lady Cards

After the turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie has been cleared from the table Thursday...the Lady Cards head south for two games...Florida State on Friday and Florida A&M on Saturday. One stop covers both, since both schools are located in Tallahassee.

The Lady Seminoles are 4-2 on the season...starting with wins over Florida Southern College, South Florida and Minnesota, but losing to Arkansas and Florida. They got back on the winning track with their first home game of the year on Monday night...downing Georgia State 94-74. 

Bravard was pre-season
first team ACC and first
team Sporting News All-
American.

Junior forward Chelsea Davis came off the bench for F.S.U. and scored 25 points to lead the 'Noles to the win. Two more juniors...wings Alexa Deluzio (20 pts.) and Chasity Clayton (18 pts.) were also instrumental in the win. Strong post player Cierra Bravard added 11 for #21 Florida State.

"We're pretty deep into the season for it to be our first home game. We've learned a lot on the road. We've started a little slower than we hoped. We're patient. I thought Deluzio did a great job of running the show against Georgia State and Chelsea having a career night was huge for us as well." -Florida State head coach Sue Semrau.

On Saturday, the Lady Cards will travel a few miles and face the FAMU Lady Rattleretts. They're 1-2 on the season, having lost to FIU 79-64 last time out and will face Nebraska before taking on the Cards.  

Obviously, the Lady Cards will have their hands full in stopping Bravard, a 6'4" post that plays the power game in the paint. Louisville can't concentrate on just stopping her, though. The Noles have shown they have several scoring options. Look for Louisville to try and get FSU out of their half court offense with full court pressure and kick the transition game into high gear. Arkansas survived against the 'Noles by hitting a buzzer beater three to win 55-52 and FSU likes the pace and tempo in the 50-60 point range...where two of their four wins have ended up. 

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(David Watson is a special contributor to Cardinal Couple. This time of year, his thoughts turn to food. We've seen him in action, the man can clear a plate of delectables faster than Bria Smith can cut to the baseline and bank one in.)

I like turkey. Oven roasted, smothered in giblet gravy and ample portions of white and dark meat. Not so big on ham for Thanksgiving, but I won't scrape it off my plate if it's served. I also like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. This means I better get busy in the kitchen, since my wife and kids have no desire to slave over a hot stove and prepare these things. We don't spend Thanksgiving with relatives because my wife usually works the weekend at the hospital. I enjoy cooking on Thanksgiving. I've prepared turkey several ways over the years. Deep fried it outdoors, oven-baked it, put it on a rotisserie and oven baked is still the best.

I got my UofL women's basketball media guide recently and started looking at what the Lady Cards favorite foods are. Here's what I discovered - with my usual smart aleck comments :

Becky Burke - Steak and Potatoes (Can't go wrong there. Porterhouse and twice-baked potato will definitely get my attention.)

Set me a bottle of A-1 down and back off !

Monique Reid - Sapporo (I'm assuming not the beer, but the Japanese grill and sushi restaurant in Louisville.)

Tia Gibbs - Zaxby's. (Never been to the chicken fast food place but they have sweet potato fries, a plus.)

Shelby Harper - Steak and potatoes. (She's such a little girl, I bet she gets the petite filet mignon.)

Asia Taylor - Mama's home cooking. ( That's never a bad choice. I still drool when I think of my dearly departed mother's pot roast.)

Shoni Schimmel -  Sapparo's (I wonder if she and Mo go there and plot strategy for UofL games? Looking at Sho-time's shooting % this year, maybe she's referring to the beer.)

Antonita Slaughter - Sushi. (That table at Sapparo's is getting crowded!)

"The Reid party,  your table is now available."

Charmaine Tay - Chipotle burrito (They probably don't serve that at Sapparo's but maybe Mo, Shoni and Antonita drop her off at Los Azteca's on the way to Sapparo's.)

Sherrone Vails - Sizzlin' Bacon. (OK, this is the most interesting one I've read so far. Hopefully, she waits until it's out of the skillet.)

Cierra Warren - My godmother's pasta. ( Being a huge noodle fan myself, I gotta know. White or red sauce? I'm a red guy.)

Shawnta Dyer - Cheesecake. (She's got some good choices in Louisville. Homemade Pie Kitchen and Adam Matthews.)

Dig in, Sara...it's three layers

Sara Hammond - Giant chocolate wedding cake. (OK, we've got a new leader for most interesting response. I wonder if she dresses in a bridal gown when she consumes this?) 

Jude Schimmel - Kwongs. ( I had to Google it. It's a Chinese restaurant in Pendleton, Oregon. I might recommend August Moon in Louisville, a lot shorter drive for you and excellent Chinese-Mongolian fare.)

Bria Smith- Lobster. (Typical New York girl. Fancy tastes and I'm guessing she likes it pre-cracked and served with warm, drawn butter and a shrimp cocktail appetizer.)

I've probably made you hungry after reading this and, if so, mission accomplished. As far as my favorite thing to eat goes, I fell in love with prime rib years ago and like it medium-rare, with a baked potato and tossed salad.

So...good dining to you and yours this Thanksgiving holiday and I hope you have the best of weekends. If you get bored, stop by and help me with potato peeling and bird basting. If Paul and Sonja offer me the vacant food editor postition at CARDINAL COUPLE, I just might accept. After dinner, of course.

(David Watson actually was a short order cook in college for a couple of years, a part time job that he still has the grease burns from. Waffle House has his picture posted in their break rooms with the caption: DO NOT RE-HIRE).
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