Hammond, Hines-Allen key Cards win over Virginia -- Monday Cardinal Couple

-- H&H combine for 37 points in 67-55 win


-- Atlanta Dream to play exhibition game in the KFC YUM! Center this May


CARDS GET BIG PAINT PERFORMANCES IN 9th STRAIGHT WIN


Louisville has finally defeated Virginia in a women's athletic event in the 2014-15 ACC slate.

Sara Hammond poured in 16 first half points and Myisha Allen-Hines went for 15 second half points Sunday afternoon in the University of Louisville's 67-55 win over the Virginia Cavaliers in the KFC YUM! Center. 11322 showed up for this one on a day where the Cards feted several spirit groups in the area and had Shoni and the Atlanta Dream braintrust present.   

Louisville emerges as the sole undefeated ACC team in conference play with the 12 point win (with Miami's loss to Duke) in a game that was a tale of two halves. The Cards improve to 17-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play...in a game where the teams combined to make one three-pointer in 20 attempts and 15 free throws out of 25.

Early on, it was the Sara Hammond Show for the Cards...the senior scoring 16 of Louisville's first 20 points in leading the Cards to a 20-14 lead after a putback at the 9:22 mark in the contest. The Wahoo defense would hold Hammond scoreless the rest of the first half...but a strong Emmonnie Henderson finish in the final 3:49 with four points and three rebounds had Louisville ahead 32-27 when the team returned to the locker rooms.


Louisville also got 13 first half minutes from reserve Megan Deines in a half where the Cards committed only three turnovers and held the visitors to just one free throw attempt. The Cards led 23-14 after Hines-Allen's only first half points...a putback with 6:57 left to play.

That lead diminished to 27-25 withe two minutes to go before Jude hit one of two free throws and "E" scored twice inside in the final minute off putbacks to end the first half.

Hammond had half of the Cards first half points and almost half of the Cards first half shots (14 of the 30) but the Cards were getting strong games tossed at them from Virginia's Faith Randolph (11 points) and Sarah Imovbioh (8 points and 5 rebounds).

Hines-Allen picked up the scoring responsibilities in the final twenty minutes...getting the Cards first basket of the second half just 19 seconds into play on an assist from Hammond. Virginia would creep within four points of the Cards when Imovbioh nailed one of two free throws to make the score 37-33 with 17:22 left in the game and also when Randolph dropped in a jumper cutting the lead to 43-39 with 14:43 to go.

From that point on, though...the Cards started to pull away from the Charlottesville visitors. Hammond and Hines-Allen would combine for the Cards next four points to give UofL an eight-point lead and a sweet feed from Hines-Allen to Deines had Louisville ahead 49-42 with 11:49 on the clock.

Mariya Moore fed Jude Schimmel with a "did you see that?" assist...backwards and over her shoulder while driving to the basket to give Louisville a 51-44 edge. Hines-Allen and Shawnta' Dyer went to work inside to push Louisville's lead to 55-46 with five minutes remaining and a hoop plus one from Moore gave the Cards a 58-48 advantage a minute later.

Hines-Allen got her 17th and final points of the game with one second left on the shot clock on a Bria Smith feed to give the Cards a 61-50 edge with 2:30 remaining. Louisville sank four of six free throws the rest of the way and Schimmel's jumper with 27 seconds provided Louisville's largest lead of the night at 67-52. Virginia's Breyana Mason closed out the evening's scoring with a plus one eight seconds later for a 67-55 Louisville victory.

Hammond finished with 20 to lead the Cards and narrowly missed a double-double with nine boards. Hines-Allen added 17 and Mariya Moore completed the Louisville double figure producers with 10. Moore has scored 75 points in her last five games.


Randolph led the Virginia scorers with 24...Imovbioh was impressive with 11 points and 15 rebounds and Breyana Mason contributed 11 points.

A win that never really seemed in doubt but also never really saw any prolonged Cardinal runs or stretches of domination. Louisville's free throw woes continued with a head-scratching 11-26 performance on the un-guarded ones but the Cards did hand out 21 assists on 28 made baskets.

The road gets tougher Thursday night for Louisville with a trip to Florida State. Until then, though...the Cards are atop the ACC in their first year of conference play and sit #4 in the nation.   


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 ATLANTA DREAM TO OPEN PRESEASON WITH 2015 ATLANTA DREAM CLASSIC AT KFC YUM! CENTER MAY 23

Dream head coach Michael Cooper (far right) listens as
Dream owner talks to limo driver.

Shoni Schimmel, head Dream coach Michael Cooper and President/General Manager took to the interview room podium 30 minutes before the game to announce that the Dream will be part of a double-header preseason game against the Washington Mystics on Saturday, May 23rd. in the KFC YUM! Center. The Indiana Fever will face the Connecticut Sun at 5 p.m. to open action...with the Dream and Mystics playing at 7 p.m.

The teams will actually be arriving to town on the 21st of May and engaging in coaches clinics, community appearances and closed scrimmages before the finale double-header.

Tickets for the doubleheader will go on sale Friday. Jan 23rd at 10 a.m., with a presale on Thursday, Jan 22nd from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Price range is from $17 to $110. Tickets can be purchased at the KFC YUM! Center box office,  all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Group discounts are available at kfcyumcenter.com or by calling
(502) 566-5152.

Here's your chance, Louisville...to show how the city would support a pro franchise. Want the WNBA here? Sell the place out in May...Tickled to see Angel and Shoni again? Fill the 300 section.

paulie