Louisville women's basketball -- Seems like old times with Jose back in town...Softball wins finale in Islanders...Monday Cardinal Couple

CARDS AND BULLS ON BIG MONDAY

It's good to see these two back together again...Louisville playing USF. Foes from the days of the Metro Conference...it's always an exciting time when they match up and tonight's Big Monday contest should be no different.


Both squads are in second place in their respective conferences and both could use a signature regular-season win over a quality opponent to bolster RPI rankings and better NCAA Tournament seeding hopes. 

It was in the NCAA Tournament, in fact, the last time these two squared off...the Cards winning 60-52 with a late game flurry. Louisville had trailed with five minute in the second round game in Tampa before going on a 14-5 final run to advance to the Albany Regional. 

Courtney Williams remains the lead Bull in the pack for USF head coach Jose Fernandez...averaging 21.7 ppg and Alisha Jenkins is back as the stronger rebounder and inside threat. Long range specialist Kitija Laksa is USF's three-point specialist and Laura Ferreira averages 10.1 points a contest. 

For Louisville, Mariya Moore and Myisha Hines-Allen had double figure contests against the Bulls last year and are the leading scorers for Louisville with 16.2 and 14.9 points per outing. With Cortnee Walton coming off arguably the best game of her career and Briahanna Jackson appearing to have shaken off her mini-slump...this non-conference match-up simulates NCAA early round action and significance tonight. A good dress rehearsal for "The Big Dance" for Walz's squad. 

It's a "Red-Out" so dress accordingly...ESPN 2 will have the TV for the contest with Rebecca Lobo and Bob Picozzi behind the microphones. AJ and Matt provide the always concise and usually entertaining radio call on 790 Cards Radio

The 9 p.m. start definitely stinks...but it's also been jokingly designated "wear your pajamas and bring a pillow to the YUM!" night...so don your flannels and bring the 'blankie' as warranted. Red, of course...


ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....

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SOFTBALL SLAMS SAM HOUSTON STATE 6-1

Productive hitting found its way back into the Louisville softball dugout for the second day in a row as the Cards ended their stay in Corpus Christi at the Islander Tournament with a 6-1 win over Sam Houston State. 

The third "M" in the Cardinal pitching staff...Madi Norman...got the start yesterday and went two innings before Megan Hensley came in to get the win. 

Hailey Smith's two-RBI double in the third gave the Cards all the run they needed for this one...but the Cards would tack on additional runs in the fourth, fifth and two in the sixth to go 4-1 on the season. 

Smith ended with three RBI's for Louisville, she and Sidney Melton had two hits each and Lillie Goetz scored twice for the Cards.

The Cards fly down to Greensboro next for one of those ACC v Big 10 matchups that'll get underway next weekend. North Carolina weather can be a risky proposition this time of year...but with the long range forecast clenched in her hand...Sandy Pearsall might just get a break with a high of 55 forecast for Friday and 60's for Saturday and Sunday. 

Wisconsin and Nebraska will be the foes.

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RADIO REPLAY

If you missed the Saturday broadcast of THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR...you can catch it on the Crescent Hill Radio Soundcloud. We had a fun-filled broadcast with softball, track, lacrosse and hoops updates and previews plus audio from Jeff Walz, Muffet McGraw, Kellie Young, Brittany Read. Briahanna Jackson and Cortnee Walton. Link below: 

LINK: https://soundcloud.com/chradio/cardinal-couple-20160213

paulie
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