Georgia Tech Visits for Senior Day -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Cards Host Georgia Tech for Senior Day

Tonight is Dana Evans night. Well, it's Senior Night, but seeing as Dana is the only senior on the player roster, I found it fitting to alter the name.

Georgia Tech comes to the KFC Yum! Center to face a Louisville team that is itching to increase their hold over the ACC late in the season. A UofL victory would push the Louisville lead over the Yellow Jackets up to three games. Assuming NC State wins tonight then they would remain 2.5 games back. After tonight, Louisville will have four games remaining while Georgia Tech and NC State each having five games left.

The senior recognition will be quite different than past seasons. With the COVID-19 protocol, family and close friends are not allowed to escort the respective student-athlete onto the court this year. Some type of video tribute has been recorded and will be aired with Dana still being recognized on the court before the game.

Here's a look at some of Dana's stats up to this point in her career:

-1504 points (11th at UofL)

-485 assists (7th at UofL)

-264 made free throws (10th at UofL)

-.868 free throw percentage (1st at UofL)

-.933 free throw percentage this season (1st at UofL)

-258 rebounds

-200 made three-pointers (8th at UofL)

-.391 three-point percentage (3rd at UofL)

-150 steals

With five regular season games remaining including tonight, Dana has room to improve on all of these figures.

A victory tonight puts the Cards at 13-1 at home this season, marking the third straight year and fourth overall at the KFC Yum! Center that Louisville had just one loss at home in a season. 

So let's take a look at tonight's opponent- Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets are 11-4 on the year with a 9-3 conference mark. They sit two games back on overall record behind the Cards for second in the ACC, but their .750 conference win percentage puts them at third in the ACC.

Georgia Tech is fresh off a loss at home to Wake Forest, snapping a seven-game win streak. 

Like most teams, Georgia Tech has seen the effects of COVID-19. They had a hiatus the back half of December and then saw a brief break during the middle of January.

Allowing just 60.8 points per game, the Yellow Jackets rank near the top of the conference defensively. OHfH3efensively, they are far from the top, scoring 68.5 points per game. They have a do-it-all player in Lotta-Maj Lahtinen. The junior averages 15.9 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game, and her 32 steals this year is tied for first in the ACC. Lorela Cubaj has also been a huge factor. The senior is a walking double-double at 13.1 points per game and 12 rebounds per game. Cubaj is also the conference leader in rebounds per game.

The Cards are a perfect 7-0 all-time against Georgia Tech, all happening since the ACC welcomed Louisville. UofL defeated the Yellow Jackets 58-47 in Atlanta on Feb. 20, 2020. 

Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. This one is set for ACCNX, which is odd since it is a battle of some of the top teams in the conference. You can always tune into 790-AM WKRD to catch Nick Curran and AJ on air.

Yesterday's Evans and Walz Teleconference

Here are the links to yesterday's presser: 

DANA EVANS TELECONFERENCE 2-10-21

JEFF WALZ TELECONFERENCE 2-10-21

Around the ACC

DanaEvans1.com

Virginia Tech at Miami gets the 6:00 p.m., slot on ACC Network. Syracuse at Florida State gets the 8:00 p.m., slot.

NC State hosts Clemson with an early 4:00 p.m., game. Pitt visits Wake Forest at 6:00.

There is a Top 25 match-up outside of the ACC when #16 Tennessee visits #20 Kentucky. 

Much of the country is under some type of winter weather advisory currently and here in Louisville we saw the effects from it. Plenty of the city is covered in a thick layer of ice. If you plan on traveling today or even to the game tonight please be extra cautious and add extra time to take things slow.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared