The M&M girls --A special treat for Cardinal fans

Mariya and Myisha a pleasant surprise for Walz

There was a phrase associated with the candy treat M&M's years ago. "They melt in your mouth, not in your hands". Louisville's M&M treats...Mariya Moore and Myisha Hines-Allen deserve a similar type of moniker or catch tag. 

How about..."They melt down opponents and want the ball in their hands?" 

OK, we'll work on that a bit...but one of the main pleasant surprises of the 2014-15 UofL women's basketball season has been the play and success of these two freshmen. 


Moore, the west coast shining star from the land of Creedence Clearwater Revival, sixties campus unrest and the Golden Gate bridge...comes to Louisville from Hercules, CA. Her feats this season have been herculean in nature.

Four games with at least 20 points. Shooting 74% from the free throw line. Leading Louisville in scoring eight times this season. She's got a seat dusted off and waiting for her on the All-Freshman ACC team at the end of the season and deserves another chair for the All ACC team as well. 

She's also the leading assist provider on a team that stresses the assist-to-made baskets ratio. In Louisville's 21 games she has been in double figures 17 times. 

Last time out, in the win over Syracuse...she went 6-13 from the floor, made four three-pointers, hit all five free throw attempts, grabbed six rebounds, dished four assists and nineteen of her 21 points came in second half as the Cards squeezed the Orange by 20.

Just another day in the office for #4.


Next...let's take a trip across the country next and land in Montclair, New Jersey. Home of late night funny guy Stephen Colbert. The Amazing Kreskin was born there. You're only 40 minutes away from Manhattan in Montclair and almost in the shadow of the Seton Hall campus. 

It's also where Myisha Hines-Allen calls home. This 6'2" freshman forward is another reason for Jeff Walz to smile. Back-to-back 23 point performances while coming off the bench for the Cards against Syracuse and Miami.

About the bench thing...According to the mad scientist it was originally done to "get her mad, light a fire underneath her and see how she'd react" when she finally got into the game.

It worked.

It may have cost her a permanent loss of dancing out to greet Sherrone Vails during player intros this season...but we like the end result.  

It also gives her a chance to sit with the coaching staff, get a feel for the pace, the tone and the tempo of the game and see just what is (and isn't) working for Shawnta' Dyer in the opening minutes. 

She started the season with 10 straight double-digit performances. Gone for 20+ in four games this season. Shooting 57% from the floor this season and went a wicked 11-14 against the Day twins and Taylor Ford in the Syracuse game. They picked up ten fouls trying to contain her. 

You would think such a accurate shooter and strong rebounded would have a closet full of "Double-Doubles"...but she didn't pick up her first one until the Wake Forest game. 

She's got a seat reserved at the All-ACC Freshman table and

...if there is any justice for newcomers in the league...a ticket for the All-ACC banquet and reception. 

The M&M girls. No peanuts here...they don't candy coat their game or remain bagged up. They come at you with more fire and intensity than Quentin Hillsman trying to run down a referee. 

They're one of the many reasons that Louisville is 19-2 and 7-1 in conference play. Some say they are the main reason.
I say...

If you think this year has been a blast watching them, just imagine what they'll be like when Jeff Walz goes for his 300th. win.

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CONTEST...CONTEST...CONTEST..CONTEST

Don't forget about the Feb. CARDINAL COUPLE Contest and your chance to win a fabulous CARDINAL COUPLE T-Shirt. All you have to do is which which UofL WBB player will score the most points in February's games and how many will she score. Will it be Bria? Maybe Sara? How about Myisha or Mariya? 

Send your entries to:

cardinalcouple@twc.com by Monday 6 p.m.

Sonja is going with senior standout Sara Hammond and predicts she'll lead Louisville in February's seven games with 96 points. 

As for me....I'm on the MHA bandwagon and prognosticate she'll end up with 117 points. Go Myisha, go Myshia...GO!!

If you want to drop a guess in the comments column, we guess that's OK...just give us a name or nickname, if you do...with your guess....so that 'anonymous' doesn't win the contest. That could be awkward and we'd probably end up giving the shirt to Matthew Mitchell for Governor.   

paulie