Tuesday Cardinal Couple -- UT next UofL

GAME REPORT -- GAME REPORT -- GAME WON!

Guess who is headed to the FInal Four in New Orleans?

Your LADY CARDS! Louisville defeats Tennessee 86-78 in Oklahoma City tonight to gain a Sunday 6:30 p.m. berth against Cal. Shoni and Jude Schimmel spectacular at the end!

Jenny O'Bryan with much more later...but it's Lou Orleans again in 2013!

UofL...they never believed they couldn't. And, they did.

They've ruined the prom. They're the unvited party guest. And Coach Walz loves it.

Shoni with 25, Jude with 15 and Mo...god bless Mo...32 minutes and 13 points. Five in double figures as Louisville led by 15 at the half...20 in the second half and saw that lead drop to three with 4:28 left in the second half. A determined UT effort falling short due to the Schimmel(s) wizardry, Mo and Jude's free throws and grit, determination and refusing to lose. As Coach Walz says...it's all about the kids...but given enough time...I honestly believe he could devise a plan to end world hunger, erase the national debt and clear the streets of crime.

Kim Mulkey, how do you like us now?

-Paulie

"We ruined the entire party. We're the ugly ducklings that ruined the party. No one gave us a chance and we shocked everybody. It's a journe and we're going to continue."

-- Jeff Walz



TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Talented Tennessee next for Walz's Wonderkids



So...how do you send the Volunteers home after putting the Bears into hibernation? Unlike Baylor, which had two definable targets in Griner and Sims, Tennessee has seven players who can potentially be game-changers and make an opponent pay.

Meghan Simmons (who Cardinal fans may remember from her breakout performance in the KFC YUM! Center the last time UT came to town) leads Tennessee in scoring with 17.0 points a game. The flashy, quick guard also is UT's leading three-point threat...with 65 out of 177 trifectas on the season.  Bashaara Graves is next in line, averaging 13.2 ppg and a team-leading 8.0 boards per game. Veteran Taber Spani provides the Vols with 10.8 points a night and is also a long-range threat with 47 of 124 threes in 34 games. Isabelle Harrison works the paint for 9.5 ppg a game and is second in missed shot collecting with 7.6 grabs.

It doesn't stop there. Cierra Burdick's numbers are 8.5 and 6.8 a night. Ariel Massengale adds 8.1 ppg and is 34 for 95 from the deep. Kamiko Williams rounds out the "magnificent seven" with 7.2 points a contest.

It is a team built by Pat Summit but one that has prospered under first year head coach, long time assistant Holly Warlick. UT is 27-7 on the year, a questionable loss to Chattanooga early in the season...a stumble to Missouri but somewhat understandable defeats from Kentucky, Stanford, Baylor, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. 

Louisville will need to have another superlative night from long range and play overall great defense against a Vols squad that can come at you in waves.

We know not what game plan Jeff Walz has come up with but you can rest assured it is one that will give Louisville a fighting chance. Tennessee is a team that can basically get their scoring from anywhere on the court and the speedy Simmons is a magician at making slow to react defenses pay.

It should be another thriller in Oklahoma City tonight. Will defeated Baylor fans hang around to throw their vocal support to the "Red" or the "Orange"? Can the Cards keep the wonderfully wild and world-stunning triumphs coming?

We'll be back tonight with post-game recaps and analysis.

They are Tennessee, but she is Shoni Schimmel...and has nine believing teammates ready to head to New Orleans. Confident and hopefully not suffering from an elation-hangover after shocking the women's college basketball world.

Let's just hope Holly doesn't have a wardrobe malfunction...

Link for Cards presser from Monday below:

Pre-Tennessee presser

-Paulie

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