LEOPARDS will need to be fast against WBB tonight -- Friday Cardinal Couple

3-1 Lafayette faces Louisville women's basketball

In the animal world, the leopard is known for its blazing speed. These feline counterparts on the women's basketball circuit, the Lafayette College Leopards could use some of this quickness as they take on their toughest opponent of the young basketball season...the Louisville Cardinals...in the KFC YUM! Center Friday night at 7 p.m.

In games against Delaware, Hartford and Rider, Lafayette has achieved double-digit wins. A loss at Columbia by seven saw them trim a double-digit lead late. The Patriot League member from Easton, PA averages 23 threes a contest and has five players who have attempted ten or more this season.


The Leopards also have four players who average 10 or more points per game. Emily Homan, a 6'3" senior forward, is rolling at a 19 PPG clip. Jamie O'Hare, a 5'6" junior guard, is second in scoring with 13.8 a contest. Linnel Macklin contributes 13.0 a night and 5'5" senior guard and Louisville Sacred Heart graduate Maddie Peabody has 40 points in four games. Peabody led the Leopards with 16 points in their last game vs. Rider. 

Louisville (5-0) has faced few challenges in the early season and will look to do what works for them...creating transition offense, scoring in the paint and causing havoc on defense. They should be able to get to the boards without any trouble...the Leopards average only 39 rebounds a game and are shooting 39% on the year. 

Bria Smith and Mariya Moore have provided the front court spark for the Cards this season and the strong paint crew of Sara Hammond, Myisha Hines-Allen, Shawnta' Dyer, Emmonnie Henderson and Sherrone Vails look to be in mid-season form already...Louisville is currently outrebounding opponents by an average of 8.2 a game. 

The Cards have shown a propensity to play to the level of their opponents early in games this season and then deliver exciting runs that create insurmountable leads. That's all well and good against the November opponents...but things ramp up in December with Iowa and Kentucky in the KFC YUM! Center. We'd like to see the Cards step on the accelerator right out of the locker room and lead by double digits after the first few minutes of tonight's game. 


Can the Leopards run with UofL? Five have tried and failed. We'll be happy with another 20+ win and would love to see Jude come out of her shooting slump.

Light up Louisville is also going on tomorrow night...so expect a busy downtown. The annual event is scheduled for 6 p.m.

We'd also like to wish Syd Brackemyre a full, complete and speedy recovery from the knee surgery she recently had performed. We're looking forward to see her up and around on the Cardinal sidelines and getting her career started next season here at the 'Ville.

paulie