VANDY BRINGS NINE-GAME WIN STREAK INTO LOUISVILLE GAME
Although the 'Dores aren't in the top 25 yet (but receiving votes) first year head coach Stephanie White has accomplished some very good things with her squad...including a win over ACC member Duke 77-73 and a hard-fought 79-77 victory at Tennessee-Martin. The lone Commodore loss came in their second game of the season...a 94-61 drubbing by IU in Bloomington. A bunch of mid-majors make up the rest of the Commodore schedule so far...Louisville will be the highest-ranked team they've faced so far. Last time out...they blitzed Tenn. Tech 89-57 in Memorial....getting big efforts out of two reserves in Erin Whalen (23) and Lea Lea Carter (18.)
Leading the way for Vandy are a trio of juniors that are double-digit performers. Christa Reed puts in 12.7 ppg, Rachel Bell averages 12.1 a game and Rebekah Dahlman is good for 11.1 a contest. Vandy leads the SEC in 3-pointers made per game (8.0). They also cash in well from the free throw line...they are 12th in the country in free throws made and Dahlman is hitting them at a 91.7% clip.
They are a smallish team...with no one over 6'1" but they are managing to out-rebound opponents 40.8 to 35.4 on the season. Marqu'es Webb, a 6'1" senior averages 9.6 grabs a game.
Louisville last faced Vanderbilt in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament at Xavier. The Cards took a 81-62 win that day...Shoni Schimmel getting 19 points to lead all scorers. The game was close with 12 minutes to play and Louisville holding a 49-42 lead...the Cards went on a 13-0 run to go up by 20 and cruise to the win. The Cards would go on to knock off the home-standing Muskies next to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In the series history, this will be the 13th. time the two have met. Vandy holds a 8-4 lead in the series. Louisville has lost five straight to the 'Dores in Nashville...the most recent back in 2006 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 76-64. That was the game where Louisville First host Howie Lindsey suffered an appendicitis attack during the second half....passing out in the hallway and taken by ambulance to Vanderbilt hospital. Sonja and I were at that contest, as fans, and had spoken briefly with him at halftime...minutes before he was stricken. Walz and White have never met on the hardwood.
So...how do the Cards sink the ship of the streaking Commodores? We see several keys to a Louisville victory:
- Be the beast of the boards. Louisville needs a big effort from Hines-Allen, Walton, Moore and whoever else Walz employs to patrol the paint. The 'Dores are a good shooting squad and grabbing their misses...plus getting second chance opportunities will be very important tonight.
- Adjusting to the surroundings. Memorial Gym is a weird configuration...with an up-raised floor and the player and coaches benches in the end-zone. It's not the best lit facility in college basketball and gives Vandy a distinct average.
- Providing the pressure. Louisville is at their finest when they can force their foes into turnovers and out of a offensive familiarity with tough defense pressure. If Briahanna Jackson and the crew can get a lot of steals, deflections and force Vandy out of a comfort zone...the Cards should do well.
What does head coach Stephanie White thing of the upcoming battle? We haveher talking about the contest at the link below:
I was able to preview the game, plus a few other subjects with Howie on his Louisville First morning show on Cards Radio 790 AM WKRD on Tuesday morning. We appreciate Howie bringing us on weekly to discuss the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports and other subjects that cross his mind. People have asked if there is a podcast or rebroadcast for these...I'm usually on at 7:40 in the morning and I know that's a bit early for some...so there is a link below of Tuesday show. I join Howie around the 31 minute mark.
PAULIE ON LOUISVILLE FIRST WITH HOWIE LINDSEY
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ANOTHER BATTLE OF THE BLUEGRASS
While the women's basketball squad is battling Vandy, the KFC YUM! Center will be filled with fans of the men's squad...as they do battle with Kentucky at 7 p.m.
This is good stuff...the height of Pitino's Cards against Calipari's quickness. DeAaron Fox and Malik Monk vs. Ray Spalding and Donovan Mitchell. Red and Blue.
We're not real tickled that this one is on a Wednesday and being played on the same day as the women's game...but the Four Letter Network dictates terms and they are promising a lot of coverage all day leading up to the tip on ESPN.
Defend the home court, Cards. Get the "W".
Hiya pal!
Paulie
xxxxx
The Cards basketball sweep Wednesday with wins over Kentucky and Vandy. Good luck red!
ReplyDeleteArthur (your favorite Clemson fan)
Greer, SC
Hey, Arthur! Good to see you stopping by! Sorry about the rough patch against Oregon and South Carolina for your Tigers. Did you make the USC game?
DeletePaulie
One of the keys in the Vandy game is going to be how healthy Dahlman and Webb are for the Commodores tonight. Without those two, Vandy could be in for a long night. As far as the gym, I like what Walz had to say about playing there. Words to the effect of the rims being the same height as they are in the YUM! Center, they play on wood like they do in Louisville and the ball is round like it is in Louisville. You have to love those analogies!
ReplyDeleteWebb can be a force on the boards but if Louisville gets the type of effort out of Hines-Allen (stay out of foul trouble, Myisha!) and Walton plus bringing in Shook and Johnson the Cards should have no trouble winning the boards.
I'm just waiting to see which freshman will have a big night for the Cards.
Curtis "the ball is round and they play on wood" Franklin
Don't overlook our bench, Curtis. Kayla Overbeck, Lea Lea Carter and Whalen and Ciera Walker all give Steph quality minutes. Any of you readers coming down for the game? I know you have a big one with the men versus Kentucky. Good luck! Nice website here and I'll be back to check it out!
DeleteCarly Commodore fan
Thanks for checking us out, Carly! We appreciate you visiting and your comments! It should be a great game. I'm sure a few Cardinal fans will be making the trip. I had best intentions of coming down and still may...but my IT band tendinitis has got me at way less than 100% and I'll probably just be watching at home.
DeletePaulie
I've had every intention of going to Vandy today, leaving work a bit early to get down there. My household is on day 5 (and day 2) of antibiotics for respiratory junk (mine being bronchitis and a sinus infection). Im working and feel well enough to go, we will see how the other half checks in around 2:00 or so. Really, a drive time decision about whether or not we make it.
DeleteFeel for ya, Jenny! Sonja has a touch of it, too. Darn weather changes. Hope you all get to go. Watch out for the crazy old guy in the Commodores hat who sits near the visitors seats and runs the steps and torments UofL fans. If he's still alive, I was ready to trip or punch him ten years ago. LOL
DeletePaulie
Well, Paulie! Your little birdies are flying down to Nashville and they'll most likely be shot out of the air by a dangerous Vandy team that has already taken down one ACC squad. Meanwhile, in the KFC BUM Center, Calipari's Cats come in to get another victory over Slick Rick's Dirty Birds. It's going to be a great Wednesday! Headed to Memorial for a noon start featuring UK WBB against Washington State. First of two UK basketball wins today! Then, back down to the Bum Center to watch the second UK win.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Mitchell for Governor
LOL...We'll see Guv. A lot of travelling for you today! Just an update for the readers...we have verified that the radio feed for UofL WBB will be on 1080 WKJK locally with Nick and AJ.
DeletePaulie
I didn't recognize Guv's post without the old "we'll get better refs next time" thingy.
DeletePaulie that's some good stuff between you and Howie! I was at that NCAA game in Nashville when Howie was taken to the hospital if you remember. I drove in from Gatlinburg and ended up with better seats than you and Sonja did. Ha-ha! I wish I was headed up there tonight.
ReplyDeleteGo Cards, beat the 'Dores down and skin the Cats tonight. Sad that there isn't a game watch party down here that I know of. When they closed Big Al's, it really disappointed a lot of UofL fans in the area.
Stay warm--
The Real Joe Hill
Thinking that they moved those to Bokamper's on Fontana Del Sol way...or at least I was told that by a few snowbird Cardinal fans who winter in Naples. I would tell you to check with Al Parrish but I don't know if he's down there yet...he had back surgery and is still going thru rehab up here in Louisville last I heard. Anyway, hope that helps and let's get two tonight!
DeletePaulie
We usually hit The Brass Tap here in town. A few people we've met there that are UofL fans but nothing like those huge gatherings the Southwest Florida UofL Alumni Association used to put on.
DeleteThe Real Joe Hill
I see this UofL WBB game as a definite trap game for the Cards. Against Duke, Vandy got some "homer" calls by the ref crew in the final minute that gave them the win. They were also 21-29 from the line and Duke just 13-19. The crew that called it was Felicia Grinter, Ed Sidlasky and Jules Gallien..which is one of the worst in college women's hoops (IMHO). Louisville needs to take advantage of their better height and get Asia, Mariya, Kylee and Sydney some clean looks from outside. Also let Myisha go to war inside but be careful that she doesn't get into foul trouble early. BJ should be able to handle Dahlman OK at guard. The Deb Factor
ReplyDeleteGood Take. We just gotta remember the old "everyone has a plan till the get hit in the face". I didn't like White in the WNBA and I like her even less at Vandy. White and Peck would like nothing better than to take our club down to set the stage for the post season based on strength of schedule. Hopefully Walz gets it and has our kids ready to do war. If not it will be a long night. And...we need to make our free throws.
DeleteVandy is a small team we need feed the post with a high low attack.Go Cards!
ReplyDelete