WBB sweep series with Pitt 77-58 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Hello readers, 

It's Daryl also closing out the weekend with you.   We're gonna recap the Cardinals vs Pittsburgh this afternoon as the squad closes out the January schedule with a tough February ahead.  

Sunday afternoon's match was a Pink out and the annual opportunity to honor Breast Cancer survivors and remember those who we have lost.   The team was introduced to the crowd with a couple honorees for the starting lineup.  

Photos: Jared Anderson

WBB

The Cardinals are soaring again as they close out the cold month of January and look ahead towards a warm spring!!  Louisville moves to 18-3, 7-1 in the ACC and are looking like they could be a team to fly under some national radars when it comes to the post season expectations. 

Jayda Curry paved the way for the Cards with a team-high 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. The junior has performed well in the month of January, scoring in double figures in four of her last five games.

End of 1Q   19-9  Cards

FG %
8-19 42.1% Cards
3-10 30%  Pitt
Reb.  10-8 Cards
3-pt %
0-3 0% Cards
3-5 60% Pitt


It took a couple minutes for the Cardinals to get the offense going but Nina Rickards scored first for the Cards. Pitt was able to get the first couple buckets of the game.

The Cards were able to tie with 6:30 on the clock when Syd Taylor hit a 3 with an assist from Kiki Jefferson and then UofL took its first lead with 5 min. on the clock when Kiki hit a three of her own... the score 8-5 Cardinals. 

The Panthers regained the lead with about 3:30 on the clock 9-8 after a couple free throws.

Cochran put Louisville ahead with just under 3 when she puts it up and in. Jada Curry hit the jumper to make it 12-9. It took some time for the Cards to start to turn up the pressure on Pitt. The turned up tempo allowed Louisville to find some separation and establish a 19-9 lead and finish the quarter on an 11-0 run.  


End of 2Q   20-17 Pitt 


FG %
5-11 45.5% Cards
8-16 50%  Pitt
Reb.  9-5 Pitt
3-pt %
2-5 40% Cards
3-5 60%  Pitt

As the stats show, Pitt won the second quarter in shooting percentage and rebounding but the Cards still managed to take the lead into the halftime break.  If fans remember when the two teams met at Pitt a few weeks back, the two squads were close before heading into the 4th quarter and Louisville pulled away.   Pitt took advantage of some weak moments by the Cards,  Kiki Jefferson went 1-4 in the quarter and Sydney Taylor turned it over twice.  



HALF   36-29  Cards



End of 3Q  26-19  Cards

FG %
11-17 64.7% Cards
6-15 40%  Pitt
Reb.  8 all 
3-pt %
2-5 40% Cards
2-5 40%  Pitt

Photos: Jared Anderson

End of 4Q  15-10  Cards 

FG %
6-15 40% Cards
3-14 21.4%   Pitt
Reb.  12-9 Cards
3-pt %
0-5 0% Cards
0-4 0%  Pitt

After giving up 39 to Pitt in the previous 2 quarters the Cards held Pitt to just 10 points in the 4th quarter.   The Cards forced 5 turnover and scored 6 points off of them while also holding Pitt scoreless from the field for the final 6:30 minutes of the game. 

UP NEXT

Louisville vs Syracuse 

Thursday 7pm 

KFC Yum! Center 

ACCNX

FRED REPORT

FREE THROWS --  It was not a free throw heavy kind of a matchup for Louisville vs Pittsburgh.  The Cards went 10-13 for 77%while Pitt was 13-15.  Kiki Jefferson following up her big outing from Thursday to lead Louisville at the charity stripe 4-4.  Capital F

REBOUNDING --  The Cards just barely won the rebounding battle against Pitt with 35 over the Panthers 34.   Louisville spread out the boards with Nyla Harris pulling down the most with 6 but let the Panthers 2 leading scorers pull down a combined 25.   The Cards won so the closeness of category was not a difference maker.   lower case r

EFFORT/EXECUTION --  Walz complimented the squad's ability to find the player with the hot hand.   On Thursday it was Kiki, on Sunday it was Jada Curry.  The team had 18 assists on 30 made shots while shooting 35% from beyond the arc.   38 points came from the bench with Merissah Russell and Curry going 4-5 and 6-9 respectively for 9 and 15 points each.  Capital E

DEFENSE --  UofL had 12 steals in the game and was able to come up with the ball when they needed things to go their way.   Jump balls, pulling the ball out of Pitt's hands and forcing the Panthers to take bad shots.  Pitt averaged 64.5 ppg and the Cards held them to 58 points on 36% shooting.   Capital D


FINAL FRED TALLY: F_r_E_D




We are getting into the NITTY GRITTY of the basketball schedule y'all,  it is an  E X C I T I N G  time!!  It's going to be the best of conference matchups these next couple weeks..  It'll be tough and it'll fly by so lets hope the Cards are able to walk away with as many big wins as they can to get a great seed in the NCAA's and hopefully the chance to win an ACC title.  

Make it a great week!!!! 

As always

Go Cards!

~Daryl