SC escapes Cards WBB 79-77 -- VB preview -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL



Gooooood morning readers and hello if you’re new here!

Hoping finals went well for studenst.  I know it must've been sooooo hard to want to get out of bed when there's several inches of snow on the ground.  I must say, campus is absolutely gorgeous coated in a blanket of snow.  It really makes the Cardinal birds stand out.  

Speaking of Cardinal birds standing out, I'm actually not too upset after last nights rumble with the Gamecocks of South Carolina.  We will go ahead and get into the recap since there's so much to cover today.  



WBB 


Louisville 77  - South Carolina 79 

Photo: Jared Anderson

The visiting #3 South Carolina Gamecocks escaped the Louisville Cardinals when a 3 point attempt by Taj Roberts was just a little too strong and bounced off the rim as time and hope expired at the KFC Yum! Center on Thursday night. 10,012 attended this one... which was high effort and excitement from start to finish.  Coach Walz complimented in the post game the squads ability to put four full quarters together and take the #3 team down to the wire.  Elif Istanbulluoglu had 15 points and 9 rebounds and Taj Roberts had 20 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.   

End of 1Q. 27-25 SC

FG %
12-19 63.2% Cards
12-19 63.2% Gamecocks
Reb. 9-5 Cards
3-pt %
1-5 20% Cards
2-4 50% Gamecocks

Cards win the tip and strike first on a bucket from Anaya Hardy after she got her first career start.  No early jitters for the national runners up as they quickly respond.  Scoring next for UofL, Mackenly Randolph making it look like Louisville may have quite a night too.   Louisville outrebounded SC 9-5, but both went back and forth trading baskets.  Elif went 3-4 for 6 points and 2 rebounds.  The Cards were unable to connect on a 3 in the first quarter until Imari Berry hit one with just under 3 min left in the quarter.  It was a relatively high scoring one where SC had a 27-25 lead.   

Photo: Jared Anderson

End of 2Q  18-14 SC


FG %
5-12. 41.7% Cards
6-11 54.5% Gamecocks
Reb. 6-7 Gamecocks 
3-pt %
3-6 50% Cards
2-3 66.7% Gamecocks


The Cardinals could not score a bucket until there was 6:07 left in the half when Reyna Scott chucks up a prayer and hits 3 as time expires to make it 30-29 SC.   But the gamecocks respond with one of their own. 

Please believe me when I tell you that Elif was the absolute motor of the first half where she had 12 of her 15 points and looked like one of the best players on the floor.   At one point on a SC miss she coralled the rebound and  dashes back on defense to prevent a fast break bucket when SC took it away from Laura Ziegler.  

When SC hit another 3 to go up 5, Elif hit a 3 pointer to pull it within 2 at 36-34. 
Not long after, a 3 pointer from Taj Robert to tie up before SC went on a 6 point run in 52 seconds forcing Walz to call a timeout.  

Out of the time out, Elif scores a bucket underneath and SC calls a timeout of their own.  A late turnover by the Cards allowed SC another offensive opportunity and they took advantage heading into the halftime break.  

Photo: Jared Anderson

HALF  45-39



End of 3Q Cards 23-18

FG %
9-16 56.3% Cards
6-14 42.9% Gamecocks
Reb. 7-9 SC
3-pt %
2-4 50% Cards
3-6 50% Gamecocks


Unlike previous games where the Cards struggled in the third quarter, Louisville managed to turn things around.  After a bucket by Skylar Jones to make it 50-47 Elif takes the charge forcing a SC turnover.  Jones gets fouled but goes 0-2 at line.  SC attempts the 3, gets their own rebound and up and in to make it 52-47.  Jones gets back to the line 1-2.  A Reyna Scott layup 54-50 and SC inbounds violation gives it back to Cards for another opportunity.  The Cards got it within 1 but couldn't get over the hump yet.  



End of 4Q 16-15 SC

FG %
5-18 27.8% Cards
6-17 35.3% Gamecocks
Reb. 13-12 SC
3-pt %
3-8 37.5% Cards
1-3 33.3% Gamecocks




At this point in the game, I had gone to the bathroom and the Cards secured the lead while I was in there.  I definitely considered spending the rest of the game in there.... 

Cards were still up when I returned to my seat, 67- 63.  And not long after SC started putting some points on the board.  We had already seen them go on a couple 6 point spurts here and there.  And they did that when they scored a couple buckets to go up 68-67.  Elif rebounds off a missed SC three attempt, goes down to make one of her own and put the Cards up 70-68 with just under 5 minutes left in the game.   With the mojo in the Cards favor, another bad forward pass in Hardy's direction but ultimately in the crowd resulted in another turnover for the Cards.   A Taj 3 makes it 73-68 with 4:11 to go forcing SC to call a timeout.   A block call from the refs and then shot clock violation gave SC the chance to go ahead and they did on a fast break layup to go up 73-72.   But as the clock wound down, and the two traded blows, two huge layups from SC's #11 to put them ahead for good.  Elif attempted another 3 pointer but it was no good with 1 minute left.  Walz calls a time out with 34 left on the clock and what looked like a foul behind the 3 point line by SC on Berry was overturned to be a 2 point FT attempt and keep the Cards from possibily tieing it up at the line.  Where she made both attempts and got it back within 1 point at 78-77.   SC called a timeout and it was a fouling game until the very end when with 7.7 seconds left, the Cards got the shot they wanted.  It just didnt go in by Taj Roberts.  And she had to be consoled by her teammates afterwards as she was visibility upset as the clock wound down. Actually Louisville did get one more possessiont when after 2 missed FT attempts from SC's #11 the Cards have less than 3 seconds left but Hardy was not able to get it down the floor for a good shot attempt.

UP NEXT

Louisville vs New Hampshire

Sunday 12/7 12pm

ACCNX

FRED REPORT

Freddie Mercury

FREE THROWS -- This was probably the one area we can groan about from this match for Louisville where they went 6-10 at the FT line which does not earn a letter by our standards. Skylar Jones went 1-4 at the line in back to back trips. no letter

REBOUNDING -- to my own surprise, the Cards matched SC on the rebounding efforts with 34 total. Elif lead for the Cards with 9 of them.  Anaya Hardy got her first career start and pulled down 5 of them.  She came up huge in some big moments.  CAPITAL R 


EFFORT/EXECUTION --  From start to finish, Louisville fought.  Both squads threw punches back and forth and it was a helluva battle between both.  Coach Walz was extremely candid in his post game about his team's efforts with #3 SC.  About the last shot from Roberts and the realty of being the one to be in that moment.  He was super impressed with the way the team set up the shot.. it just didnt go in this time.   "If you wanna take that shot, You gotta be prepared for it not to go in. If she makes it, she was happy."  CAPITAL E

DEFENSE -- Defensively, Tessa Johnson for SC was open.. way too often.  And she made the Cards pay for it.  She went 4-7 from 3 point land.   Aside from that, I thought UofL put up an impressive defensive effort.  6-6 Okot was practically unstoppable too.  She just had to put it up on the glass to score a layup practically at will.  CAPITAL D



FINAL FRED TALLY:   _R_E_D


Volleyball

Photo: Jared Anderson 

Louisville plays Loyola Chicago Friday evening following the first round matchup with WKU and Marquette at 4pm.  All at L&N Arena.  

Louisville begins its post season holding a 24-6 record, 16-4 in the ACC.  


from loyolaramblers.com

Loyola won its third A-10 championship in four years and second straight after beating #6 Duquesne in the semifinals and #4 VCU in the championship. The Ramblers beat both in five sets.

Ann Marie Remmes was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, while Kaitlyn Burke and Emma Henry were on the All-Championship Team.  Remmes totaled 36 kills while hitting .425 over the two matches. She added 10 digs, seven blocks, and two aces. She had 19 kills in the win over Duquesne and followed up with 17 against VCU.  Burke went for back-to-back double-doubles in the tournament. She had 21 kills and a career-high 28 digs vs. the Dukes. Against the Rams, she had 20 more kills with 11 digs.  Henry racked up 115 assists, averaging 11.5 assists per set. She had 57 in the win over Duquesne and 58 more vs. VCU. She recorded a double-double vs. the Dukes with 14 digs.

•Loyola has played 128 sets this season and 12 five-set thrillers. In seasons 2023, 2023, and 2022 combined, the Ramblers only saw five sets 12 times.
• The Ramblers rank in the NCAA top-20 in the following categories: eighth in total assists (1,527), eighth in total attacks (4,570), 10th in total kills (1,637), 11th in total digs (1,935), and 16th in total blocks (306).
• Avary DeBlieck broke the single-season block record that previously stood at 144 during the final weekend of regular season action. She has 168 and counting this season, which ranks fifth in the country. DeBlieck is averaging 1.41 blocks per set, sitting 23 in the NCAA.
• The Ramblers won their first ever tournament game last year in the first round over #24 BYU, 3-0.
• Head coach Amanda Berkley is in her eighth season at the helm. Her overall record with the Ramblers is 153-92.



Softball

Softball announces its 2026 schedule. You can see the spring slate in the following link. We will break it down further another day 2026 Softball Schedule

Make it a great weekend!!!

As Always, 
Go Cards! 

~Daryl