Cards middle stretch stings Yellow Jackets -- Louisville 75 - Ga. Tech 48...Saturday Cardinal Couple

24-2 run puts Ramblin' Wreck in the garage

Walz adds two recruits for 2015?? Congrats Mayor Jer
and Madeline!! Which one is the shooter, which is the maker? 

We usually talk about how the Cards begin and end a game here at Cardinal Couple to begin a game recap. Today, we'll look at the middle eight minutes of the contest...the final 4 1/2 of the first session and the beginning 3 1/2 minutes of the second half...in profiling the 27-point Louisville win. Although Louisville never trailed after an early 7-6 deficit, the Techsters were competing tooth-and-nail with UofL and the Cards could not gain more than a six point lead in the first 15 minutes.

Cards warm up for Georgia Tech

After Aaliyah Whiteside capped off a 4-0 Georgia Tech spurt with a layup to make it a two-point affair at 22-20...with 4:30 on the scoreboard...Louisville went on a 11-0 run to end the first half and take a 33-20 lead into the locker room. 

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game

It was share the scoring wealth...Cortnee Walton's two free throws got the run started, a strong Shawnta' Dyer move inside pushed the advantage to six. Arica Carter got loose on a fast break and feed from Mariya Moore to drop in a layup which had the Cards up 28-20 with three minutes left. Carter would return the favor...setting up Moore with two assists for layups (one of them a three-point play) to give the Cards significant breathing room after the first twenty.

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game

Moore started the game on fire for Louisville, scoring nine of Louisville's first 10 points in the first four minutes of action to give Louisville an early 10-6 lead. Georgia Tech would not go away quietly, though...the inside play of Whiteside and Roddreka Rogers keeping the Yellow Jackets within striking distance.

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game

Meanwhile, "do-everything" guard Kaela Davis couldn't have bought a hoop with a roll of Benjamin's. She finished 1-11 in the first half from the floor and was saddled with three fouls.

Foul trouble also kept Sara Hammond on the sidelines for the final 15 minutes of the first half...but Moore and Jude Schimmel combined for 20 of the Cards' first half points to counter-balance "double zero" watching from the sideline seats. 

If Louisville ended the first half with a flurry, they dumped a blizzard on the bewildered visitors from Atlanta to start the second half.

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game

Hammond made up for lost minutes by scoring four of UofL's six opening points of the second stanza. After a sweet Myisha Hines-Allen inside score and Moore three made it a 22-point Louisville lead, Hammond connected again with a jumper and it was suddenly 46-22 with 16:30 showing on the clock. 

Game over. Park the Ramblin' Wreck in the garage and begin the substitutions, Jeff.

Louisville would steadily increase the lead the rest of the way...using multiple combinations on the floor. Things got a bit "chippy" at the 6:43 mark and Louisville up 64-37 when "E" and Whiteside had to be separated after Henderson committed a foul after a Whiteside rebound. Whiteside vigorously started clapping in Henderson's face and "E" returned the applause...and moved menacingly forward. 


The remaining players on the court stepped in-between the two...the UofL players walking "E" out to half-court... but referee Joe Vaszily (the short one) had seen enough.

Double technical. Media timeout and "E" to the bench for the rest of the game. Who knew applause warranted a "T"?

Good thing, there. Ms. Whiteside probably would have been shot-putted into play-by-play radio announcer Matt Andrews' lap courtside by "Ms .Steel Biceps".  

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game

Davis fouled out for Ga.Tech with 4:39 left...probably a blessed relief for her after a poor 2-15 performance from the floor. She did can 6-7 from the foul line to finish with 11 points...but we're guessing she led the line to the bus that took them to the airport or hotel. 

The Cards largest lead came when Jude created a steal and made the layup to give UofL a 71-40...31-point lead over an ACC opponent...with four minutes remaining. Tech did outcore the Cards 8-4 the rest of the way...with Freeman, Carter, Deines, Walton and Vails on the court. 

Moore led all scorers with 22 points on 9-12 shooting. She was also the only Card to take or make a three pointer in the contest...going 3 for 6. She was also the only UofL player in double figures for the contest....almost getting a double-double with eight assists. 


Louisville goes to 13-1 with the victory...a unexpected but quite welcomed 75-48 win over a 10-5 ACC opponent. A bit of disheartening news in the post game presser, though...Walz indicating that Cortnee Walton was feeling pain in the foot that suffered the broken toe earlier in the season. She'll be re-evaluated again and...sadly...this one is beginning to look like a possible end-of-season for the junior. 

Three stats that stood out:

1) Louisville outscored the Techsters 46-28 in the paint

2) Louisville shot a splendid 50% from the floor (30-60)

3) Georgia Tech finished with 29% accuracy (18-62)

A quick turnaround for Louisville...a trip to Pitt for a Sunday tip at 2 p.m. Another opponent that has had an impressive pre-conference run at 10-4. We'll see how that holds up in their first ACC game...the Panthers own an impressive win on the road at Ohio State...but losses to James Madison, Duquesne and Princeton indicate that they may not be ready to be dealt these Cards.

A special thanks to Charlie Springer at www.uoflcardgame.com for photos from Friday night's game. Be sure to check out Charlie's photo gallery at the website. Some good work over there by "The Observer". 

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We'll discuss both UofL wins and preview the Pitt game on the Saturday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE Radio at 11 a.m. today on WCHQ 100.9 FM and on the internet at www.crescenthillradio.com 

Join us, won't you? 

paulie