DURR, CARTER LEAD CARDS IN 19 POINT WIN AT BOISE
Whatever it was, the Louisville basketball team sputtered a bit coming out of the gate before eventually putting the Boise St. Broncos away 74-55 Monday Night in the Taco Bell Arena.
Just 100 seconds into the contest, the Cards found themselves in a 5-0 hole to the home team. Louisville would finally get on the board when Sam Fuehring got loose inside for a bucket at the 5:58 mark and, after Jeff Walz brought in Yacine Diop, Arica Carter and Dana Evans...three who didn't start the game...Louisville eventually tied the contest after an Evans three with about four minutes left in the first quarter.
The Cards had five turnovers in the first six minutes of action but after Jazz Jones sank back-to-back buckets to end the quarter, Louisville was within one of the fired-up, all over the court B.S.U team at 12-11. Louisville had survived the Bronco's best punch...Fuehring (called "Fur-ling" by the Bronco's TV crew early on) had four first quarter points for the Cards, Jones four and Evans three consisted of the scoring. Durr was held scoreless in the first ten, despite the TV guy's attempts to credit her for both of Jones' baskets.
The second quarter brought a better effort from "Nite-Nite", She hit the Cards first two baskets, including an opening three, and Louisville had pushed out to a 16-12 lead with 8:35 left in the half. Jones nailed two free throws to push the advantage to 18-15. Then, a scary occurrence transpired a minute later.
Jones was hustling to make a defensive play under the Bronco's basket, went airborne, and crumpled to the court, writhing in obvious pain. Action was stopped. She lay there for quite some time. Jones was eventually helped to her feet and helped off the court. She did not return. Early reports indicate it was a right hip injury and she was taken from the Taco Bell Arena to a local hospital for X-Rays. A deep bone bruise is the diagnosis. It'll take time for her to come back, with the soreness that can produce.
Without her, Louisville seemed shaken for a bit. The Broncos pulled back into a 25-22 lead before Yacine Diop knocked in a jumper with 1:45 left in the half. It stopped a 10-4 B.S.U run. Carter nailed the first of her four threes on the night to give UofL a 29-28 edge with a minute left and Diop hit from the paint to give the Cards a shaky 31-28 lead as the half ended.
Whatever it was, the Cards lived up to their early-reputation of being dominant in the third quarter and went on a 7-1 run to take a 38-29 lead after Durr put in a layup. Gordy Presnell, the B.S.U. head coach had seen enough and stopped the action just 103 seconds after it had started. The temporary cessation didn't slow down #25 for Louisville, though. She sank another layup. After a Kylee Shook score inside, "Ms. "Durr-able" drill a three and the Cards held a 45-33 lead halfway through the third quarter. A 14-5 run for UofL.
A.C. would cash in on another trifecta in the third quarter and Durr's three-ball sent Louisville to a 53-41 lead as the third session ended. It was a 22-13 quarter for the Floyd Street Fillies and Durr had 10 of them for 17 points.
The Cards built the lead to 16 at 60-44 after Arica's fourth and final three with 7:24 left to play. Back-to-back long balls from Shook and Durr made it 68-51 Cards with 4:04 to go and Louisville had their biggest lead of the contest at 72-53 when Diop sank a jumper. Evans provided the Cards final points of the evening on a driving layup with 1:50 to play and the Cards picked up their third (yes, third...Jared) win of the season with a 74-55 final score.Louisville took the second half 43-28.
Asia led all scorers with 20 points, A.C. added 16, Fuehring put in nine, Diop eight, Dana seven, Jones six, Shook five and Bionca Dunham completed the Cardinal scoring with three. Also seeing action bot not scoring were Mykasa Robinson, a surprise starter, Seygan Robins and Lindsey Duvall.
A win is a win, and road wins are always welcome. The Cards lived up to their #5 national ranking in the second half after sputtering out of the blocks.
THE FRED REPORT
 |
| A rather important "FRED" |
Rebounding. The Cards outrebounded B.S.U 37-29. Sam Fuehring led the way with eight, Asia Durr grabbed seven. I'd still like to see a stronger performance by "the bigs" in the paint grabbing missed shots...between Diop, Shook and Dunham, only six total rebounds. I'll GO WITH A small case "r" here.
Effort/Execution. The slow start was frustrating...yes, but the B.S.U. players and fans were whipped up into a early frenzy. A total of 18 turnovers is too many. 19 fouls is another number that needs to drop. I'm OK with 14 second-chance points and 17 fast break points...and 14 points off of 21 Bronco turnovers. Asia was, well, Asia. Still, the slow start warrants a small case "e" here.
Defense. UofL held B.S.U. to 34.6% from the floor (26% in the first half) and did force 21 turnovers. nothing wrong with none steals. They had problems containing Riley Lupfer and Braydey Hodgins from three-point range (a combined 6 for 12) but shut down the Boise State transition game pretty much in the second half. A tough call, but I go with the small case "d" here.
Final FRED tally: F-r-e-d
THEY SAID IT
Asia Durr: "They (BSU) definitely scouted us better. We got a great punch from them in the first half and they didn't stop fighting." Gordy Presnell: "Their third quarters are legendary. We held them to 22 points, which is a positive, but we just didn't get back into it. We fatigued out a bit and had some cramping. But, they're just really good and Walz does a great job with them."
Jeff Walz: "Right now, they're far from a 16 seed, I was really impressed with them. It's a very well rounded ball club."
FINAL THOUGHTS
-- For some reason, Diop looked lost early on in this one. A very-detailed officiating crew, led by Lisa Jones, missed several calls -- all to the dis-advantage of the Cards. Even the B.S.U. announcers acknowledged that.
-- Here's hoping Jazmine's Jones' hip isn't too severe. Deep bone bruises can take awhile. I've had one, and they are quite painful.
-- 4125 is a huge crowd for B.S.U. women's basketball and they stayed energetic throughout the contest. Bringing in 16 area girls high-school squad for the contest is a nice touch...
-- Louisville is fast, no doubt about it. Early season miscues when you run so much are part of the process. Hopefully, the Cards will get a more congruent and error-free fast break, transition game developed. Speed without consistent efficiency equals sloppiness. Louisville goes to Vegas next for two games, beginning with Arizona State on Friday 11/23 with a 5:30 p.m. E.S.T start time.
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Well, the first half wasn't a thing of beauty, but, as you said, it was a road win over a very spirited opponent in Boise.
ReplyDeleteWorried about Jaz. That fall from way up in the air was scary. Hope the X Rays come out with no signs of a break or fracture.
Curtis "Why is Boise the City of the Trees. Blue trees?" Franklin
Win is a win, even a ten days since the last game, playing a very high quality team on their home floor sloppy win.
ReplyDeleteHope Jaz recovers quickly, but in her absence, someone else has a chance to step up.
Surprised by that starting lineup.
Just one word to say here - Arica. Make that two - Asia.
ReplyDelete2-4 weeks on a deep hip bone bruise is optimistic. If it's bad, it can take much longer. Know a girl who got one last season, plays HS ball and still isn't back after getting it in Feb. of this year.
ReplyDeleteI hope it isn't too bad.
Blue Lou
Just keep hitting the free throws, Cards...or, to humor Coach Walz's "3 is better than 2" axiom...grab the missed ones and stick 'em back in the bucket.
ReplyDeleteI tried to listen to as much of the game on the radio, which ended, before the internet version, as possible. Those MWC announcers were ill-prepared, ignorant and lacked game-calling experience.
A parrot and chimp would have served just as well.
Paulie
Parrot and Chimp? You're killing me smalls. We really don't realize just how good our broadcast crews are until we are subject to others.
ReplyDelete