WBB wins, WSOC loses -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

A mixed bag of results last night for University of Louisville women's sports. 

The women's basketball squad overcame a slow start and pummeled Chattanooga in the KFC YUM! Center last night 86-37. In Provo, UT, the women's soccer team basically had a half to remember and one to forget in a 4-0 loss to the BYU Cougars. Let's get at it: 


CARDS 86 - CHATTANOOGA 37

Despite the slow start for UofL offensively (the Cards went 0-8 from the floor to open the game) solid defense prevailed and Louisville eventually regained their shooting touch to hold court against the 1-6 Mocs. 

It took the Cards nearly four minutes to register their first basket in the first quarter. Fortunately, Chattanooga had only scored once. Those inside scoring woes had Louisville in their grip and it wasn't until Dana Evans drove the paint and got one to fall at the 6:10 mark that UofL registered points. After that, though, the Cards went on a 12-2 run and fought their way to a 18-7 lead after one quarter. Despite the 7-24 shooting (29.2%) the Cards were active in rebounding with 19 opening session grabs. The Mocs weren't faring any better from the floor (3-13) and the Cards already had four steals. 

Six Louisville players were on the board (out of the nine Jeff Walz played in the first ten minutes), none had more than four points and the Cards held a significant 8-0 edge in points off turnovers (UTC had six), second chance points (6-0) and free throws, where UofL was 4-4 and Chattanooga hadn't attempted one. 

With defense leading the way, UofL started the second quarter on a 15-2 run in the first 6 1/2 minutes for a 33-9 advantage. Evans was in double figures and "E" Balogun had seven points and six rebounds on her stat line. The Cards were still going to the paint but the trio of Bionca Dunham, Kylee Shook and Liz Dixon had massed only four points. They were rebounding, though...with 16 grabs between them. Norika Konno and Yacine Diop came in with nice contributions off the bench and had 12 of UofL's 35 points. Despite not scoring in the last 2:50 of the half, Louisville led comfortably at the intermission 35-13.

The Cardinal clubbing continued in the third quarter. Walz went deeper into the reserves and Kasa Robinson responded with four points and two steals. UofL was off to the races again in the third, using a 18-6 domination in the first 6 1/2 minutes to lead comfortably 53-19. The Cards won the quarter 26-14, Walz had played everyone but Jess Laemmle and Dana added eight more points in the third, including a couple of threes. UTC was still engulfed in shooting woes, going 4-14 in the quarter and shooting just 28% for the contest. It was 61-27 with 10 minutes to play.

The bench erupted in joyous celebration when Liz tallied a putback for a bucket at the buzzer signalling the end of the third and when she scored on another follow-up with a minute left in the quarter.  

The fourth period started with the interesting combination of Shook, Robinson, Lindsey Duvall, Diop and Liz Dixon on the court. Jess Laemmle soon took the court and the Cards blasted out to a 12-2 run to start the fourth and held a 73-29 lead over the visitors in the first four minutes. 

Walz continued to tinker with the combinations on the court, ending up with Laemmle, Dixon, Balogun, Duvall and Konno on the floor for the final four minutes.  He probably could have played me, my wife, Nick Evans, Sean Moth and Ernie the Usher the rest of the way...Mocs head coach Katie Burrows was deep into her bench as well and, with a Duvall three leading the way, the Cards closed the match with a 9-5 run and went on to win by 49. 



THEY SAID IT

You all talk, I'm gonna get some dancin' in 

Coach Walz joined players Dana Evans and Elizabeth Balogun at the microphones, in a rarity for post-game interviews scenarios. Maybe because we kept UTC head coach Burrows in the media room for eight minutes discussing Mocs Basketball and places to eat in Chattanooga. Microphone decorum was almost completely ignored again, I managed to confuse Balogun with a question and it was pretty much me, the Courier and Farmer Tom firing up the post-game queries. Louisville's feed of the post game dies when I'm getting ready to ask "E" a question, so I borrowed this one from The Crunch Zone. Thanks to them for dilligent coverage and contributing to the joy and excitement of UofL women's basketball. Eventually, I hope to get Jared recording post-game stuff again. 

LINK: JEFF, DANA and E POST GAME

I've also attached my audio here, since it includes Chattanooga head coach Burrows. Burrows viewing is also available at The Crunch Zone. 

LINK: JEFF, DANA and "E" POST GAME


FRED REPORT

Today's Fred - actor Fred Thompson
Obviously took UTC and the points. 

FREE THROWS -- The Cards continue to impress from the charity stripe. 12-14 is 85.7% and way past our letter standard of 70%. It was a lightly-whistled contest. No player for Louisville attempted more than three free tosses and five Cards were perfect from the stripe. I proudly bestow the Capital "F" for this excellent accuracy. Maybe troubles with the close-in shots, but none last night with the free ones. 

REBOUNDING -- The Cards had a 59-28 edge over the smaller Mocs. Maybe because the shooting wasn't all that great, but Kylee grabbed 11 and Balogun showed the effort with the same. 33 of them in the first half.  "B" added nine, "Liz" found seven. Proud of "Ya-Ya", too, with five in just 17 minutes. No problem in tossing up a Capital "R" here for someone to grab.  

EFFORT/EXECUTION -- It was the Cards hustle, from most all involved that produced this 49-point "W". Second chance points 19-4 Louisville, 50-16 UofL in the paint. 12-0 on the fast break. I am going to award a small case "e", though...primarily because of the ugly start. Pull that kind of beginning against most of the ACC and you're down by double digits.

DEFENSE -- It was a stellar effort for UofL last night defensively. 13 steals ! Holding the Mocs to 24.6% shooting. Creating 18 turnovers while going deep into the bench and playing all 11 dressed. It was expected, this defensive juggernaunt effort, against maybe the least-talented opponent Louisville will face this season. Here's your Capital "D", Cards. 

FINAL FRED TALLY:  F-R-e-D

So, a win most expected and a good one at that. Walz got to do a lot of experimenting, I thought Norika Konno looked more comfortable on the court than she has all season and "Ya-Ya" Diop got the minutes and produced the results I knew she was capable of.

Three-point shooting (6-24) still needs work, though. Dana and "E" combined for a 3 for 10 night and that must improve. I liked the equal distribution of playing time, though. Everyone saw close to 15 minutes except Jess, who logged a season high 8:30.

The Cards are still a "work in progress" but Walz has to be pleased with the defensive intensity last night. The inside game made progress but also need to pick it up. It was what it was...a 49-point win over a 1-6 Southern Conference foe at home.  


SOCCER STUMBLES AGAINST BYU 4-0

It was a valiant effort for Louisville women's soccer for most of the night against #4 BYU in Provo. The teams were scoreless at the half. The Cards were still hanging tough 15 minutes into the second half, keeping BYU off the board. 

Then disaster struck.

BYU erupted for two goals in one minute. A third soon followed and with eight minutes left in the match, the Cougars added their four goal in twenty minutes. 

The Cards did not respond. Maybe the early effort wore UofL out. Maybe the Cougars decided to put points into their arsenal of domination. Whatever it was, Louisville's season ends in Utah and BYU goes to the Sweet Sixteen to face NC State, who surprised Arkansas in the first game 2-1. 

The Cards actually got two good shots on goal off in the first two minutes of the match, one by Allison Whitfield and the other by Brooklyn Rivers. After that, it was pretty much BYU controlling the action and pace. 

Our soccer expert Case Hoskins will go into much more detail on the Cards exit from the NCAA Tournament. I'll leave you with these pertinent stats. 

Shots:   BYU 19 - Louisville 9
Shots on Goal:   BYU 8 - Louisville 2
Corners: BYU 9 - Louisville 1


Still it was an incredible season for UofL Women's Soccer. There is no disgrace in losing to a higher-ranked team, at their place.

(WBB PHOTOS FOM JARED ANDERSON) 


Have a fun Friday !

paulie
xxxxx

Chattanooga visits Louisville women's basketball -- Women's Soccer in Provo -- More on Van Lith -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

MOCS COME TO VILLE WITH 1-4 RECORD

Gonna miss former UTC coach Jim Foster coming to the YUM! 

For their fourth contest of the 2019-20 season, the Cards WBB players entertain a visitor from the "Choo-Choo" city. Chattanooga dips south after a Tuesday night defeat from Michelle Clark Heard's Cincinnati Bearcats 72-53. The Southern Conference visitor was within six in the third quarter before the fourth quarter Bearcat blowout.  

Known as the "Mocs", their second-year head coach Katie Burrows continues the rebuild of the program. She has a couple of players of note. Senior guard Lakelyn Bouldin averages 12.8 points per game and sophomore forward Abbey Cornelius contributes 12.2 a night. UTC has a win over Liberty this season but losses to Purdue (66-34), Hampton (84-55) Belmont (63-50) an, as mentioned, the Bearcats. 

It all adds up to look like a chance for Jeff Walz to continue the exploration of his depth, rotation and player combinations. In a press conference yesterday. Walz indicated the possibility of inserting Kylee Shook into the starting lineup in place of Liz Dixon.

We can see why.

Kylee has turned in a double-double in two of the Cards three contest this season. He also referred to the idea of letting Liz watch a bit from the sidelines to get the flow of the game (like the Keisha Hines/Gwen Rucker combo from a few years ago) before entering th game. Walz doesn't seem to think either player's minutes will drop, he's just trying this strategy early in the season to see how it works. Walz's Wednesday presser is below. He talks Van Lith and more : 

LINK: WALZ PRESSER FROM 11-20-19 

The rest of the Cards' starters are pretty solid. Jaz Jones and Dana Evans are coming off career-high points totals in the win over CMU. "B" Bionca Dunham has been steady inside and "E" Elizabeth Balogun is a multi-talented three point threat that was hampered by a few questionable whistles last time out.

After that, it's looks like basketball roulette. "Kasa" Mykasa Robinson should see her minutes, the Cards defensive stopper appears 100% and ready to go. "Ya-Ya" Yacine Diop should have the chance to get significant minutes and punch up the Cards scoring. Norika Konno has seen her fair share of court time, she's a proven assist-maker and the shot will eventually come. Jess Laemmle is a steady ball-handler and knows the offense, plus a three-point threat. So is Lindsey Duvall, who we hope will get a few more minutes than previously this season. 

Seygan Robins continues to have heel issues and will sit this one out. Sitting also is Molly Lockhart, who is not quite 100% yet regarding her injury rehabilitation.  

The Cards have won 98 games against non-AP Top 25 teams. I don't see that changing tonight. Louisville averages 75.7 points-per-night, while Chattanooga checks in a 52.3 an outing. The Mocs do have a bit more height than the previous UofL foes this season. Cornelius is 6'2" and the Mocs have a couple of 6'3" paint players in Ruona Uwusiaba and Kallie Searcy -- but UTC averages just 31.8 grabs a game and has a -6.6 rebounding margin against their opponents. Louisville is good for 47.0 rebounds a night and has a +12.0 edge over their opponents so far. 

Remember, game time is 6:30 tonight. If you can't attend, the ACC Network is televising the contest. I've don't know much of their crew tonight (Tiffany Greene and Kelly Gramlich) and if I wasn't able to be in the arena, I'd go with the stellar broadcasting duo of Nick Curran and Adrienne Johnson on Cards Radio 790 AM -- WKRD. Maybe "the network" should stick with local talent for these Louisville broadcasts against non-ACC foes. I'd love to hear the trio of Don Russell, Sara White and Katie George mic up for WBB just once. I know many of you would, as well. 

It's also 80's night. Dress accordingly, if you wish to participate. After my 70's night garb last week, I'm passing on the eighties attire. That's me on the left.

I might consider it if I had an MTV T-Shirt in my closet. I don't think I'd look good in leggings, though. 

The "eighties"  just wasn't as memorable for me, with the exception of meeting and marrying my dear Sonya. I'll have the recap of what I hope is a feel-good, blowout win for the Red and Black attack in the Friday Cardinal Couple edition. 

Here's the delightful little ditty about the "see Rock City" town, as performed by the Andrews sisters:  

LINK: CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO



WOMEN'S SOCCER ON A BUSINESS TRIP TO UTAH

So, you're the #23 team in the country, halfway across the nation to face an undefeated, #4 ranked squad on their field, in front of around 3,000 fans and it's the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. David vs. Goliath time? Reason to tense up a bit?

Nope. Just a business trip for Karen Ferguson Dayes Kickin' Cards. 

Louisville has played the elite of WSOC this season. 10 Cardinal opponents made the NCAA Tournament. Six have advanced to second round action. Louisville has faced and played well against the powerhouses UNC, Virginia, Duke and Clemson. They have no fear of, but a healthy respect for, West Coast Conference foe BYU. 

Louisville sees this one as a showcase for the joy and excitement of the sport. The Cards philosophy is "one game at a time" and this is the next one up. The Cards have allowed just .075 goals per game this season. Yes, that's less than a goal per game. A wonderful atmosphere for the sport should be in full force tonight and the Cards plan to use it to their advantage.  

Proving it in Provo. This is the task for UofL Women's Soccer. If you read Jared's preview in the Wednesday Cardinal Couple, you know that the Cougars have weapons. They have had their successes this season.

The Cards can't worry about that.

Louisville intends to play Louisville Women's Soccer tonight, and it's a style that has led the Cards to a 13-4-2 record. If you haven't read Jared's report and listened to Coach Ferguson Dayes interview, I suggest you go back and review it.

The Cards play together. How that will translate out tonight is anyone's guess, but I won't be surprised at all if they advance to round three. The Sweet Sixteen. Believe it. Teams from the toughest women's soccer conference in DI don't surrender. These Birds didn't fly out there just to enjoy the mountain air. 

This one will be shown at 8 p.m. on BYU TV. On Spectrum, that's channel 281. Although, women's basketball duties are on tap for me tonight, I'll be hoping to get home in time to view some of the Cards vs. Coogs contest and will review it tomorrow here at Cardinal Couple. 

Believe in yourself, Women's Soccer Cards. Go get the win.



HAILEY WAS DOWN TO TWO

Wenatchee, Washington is called the "apple capital of the world". Jeff Walz and the Louisville Cardinals picked the best one off the tree when they received a commitment from Haliey Van Lith. 

Jeff Walz was in the Atlanta airport when he got the call from Van Lith. She was holding her announcement presser at 3 p.m. Walz's phone rang at 2:45 p.m. He knew it was down to his Cards and Baylor. She told him she wanted to be a part of the Cardinal family. 

Van Lith has been a part of four USA goal medal teams. MVP on two of them. There is a dedication, drive, desire and determination to her that develops when she steps on the court. 

Walz says: 

"She is a dynamic player. she can score in all phases of the game. She can get to the rim, hit the pull-up jump shot and make the three. I think what separates her from a lot of players out there is her competitive drive." 

A win over Kim Mulkey and the Baylor Bears in the recruiting wars as well. I wonder if Kim shed off her coat and stormed across the practice court when she heard the news?

Hailey joins former 3X3 teammate Olivia Cochran in the class of 2020. Both scored five-star 98 (out of 100) ratings from ESPN. Not to be forgotten in this class of new arrivals are Canadian sensation Merissah Russell and dynamic Panama City, Fl combo guard Ahlana Smith.  

Many consider Hailey the most-highly sought after and skilled Louisville commitment since Asia Durr. I am working to get a Cardinal Couple interview with her. I've gotten the "go-ahead" from Coach Walz and just waiting for her digits from Louisville's WBB S.I.D so I can call and inquire about the interview. I'm told her off-court personality is friendly, engaging, fun and informative.  We'll aim to base our chat around that. 

Is there a specific thing you would like to know about Hailey? I take requests, so leave your question in the comments section or e-mail me at:  cardinalcouple@twc.com  with what you'd like to know. 



Have a triumphant Thursday !

paulie
xxxxx

Two Wins and a Loss -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

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Late Collapse Dooms Women's Soccer at Tennessee

As was the theme for Louisville's women's soccer team this season, Louisville once again scored early in a big game before yielding the lead and ultimately losing the game. In last night's match against Tennessee, Emina Ekic scored in the 20th minute of the match to give the Cards a lead they would hold for nearly 55 minutes. Unfortunately, this match was one in which Louisville's lead never really looked safe, and goals in the 75th and 86th minutes by Bunny Shaw saw Tennessee capitalize on their pressure. The Volunteers outshot the Cards 16-9 (9-3), earned 11 corners vs Louisville's 0, and drew 14 fouls compared to only 3 for the Cards. 

To their credit, Louisville's defense and Gabby Kouzelos held on for quite some time. Tennessee applied significant pressure throughout the game, and for the Cards to hold on for 74 minutes before conceding is admirable. The ball control exhibited by the Volunteers kept Louisville out of their preferred game plan. Through 90 minutes, Louisville's points leaders Maisie Whitsett and Brooklynn Rivers combined for one shot. Rivers did earn the assist for Ekic's early goal, but more productive offense could have resulted in a better result. Even against a good team, you have to get chances on goal in order to win. Louisville just didn't get enough of them last night. 

There isn't a lot else to say about this game. Louisville seemed to be outmatched in this one, with Tennessee using their advantage both as the home team and the higher seeded team to pummel Louisville into submission over time. It is a disappointing loss, particularly because it came about in nearly the same way every other big Louisville road game did this season, but it is still encouraging going forward. Next season Louisville will bring back ten of eleven starters. With experience comes fortitude, and Louisville should show a greater ability to close out games as time goes on. After a couple of disappointing seasons recently, appearances in both the ACC and NCAA tournaments are big steps for this program, even if both events resulted in early exits.

Hats off, though, to the Louisville defense and, particularly goalkeep Gabby Kouzelos, for not allowing more than two goals. UT kept the ball on Louisville's side of the pitch and in front of Kouzelos for most of the contest and she had some incredible saves that prevented scores.

Look out for a season wrap-up sometime in the future, as there is quite a bit to digest. Remember that only one team can finish as a winner at the end of every year and that every forward step is a positive for the program. I'm looking forward to next season already.

Coach KFD and Gaby Vincent talk about the game andnthe season at the link below:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1061080621685108741

Volleyball Seeks to Get Back on Track at Boston College

After taking a loss against Florida State on Sunday, the Cards continued their pattern of winning every other game with a road, four set victory over Boston College. The Cards will look to break the pattern with a win over Wake Forest on Sunday at 1. Louisville got off to an extremely hot start before falling in a second set slump. The Cards would turn it around, though, pushing through the reduced role of Melanie McHenry to take the third and fourth games to win the match 3-1. There's no box score available at time of writing, but Claire Chaussee once again stepped up and led the team with 15 kills. She was joined in double digits by Amanda Green with 11. Louisville finished with 10 blocks and 4 aces. An all around positive performance as Louisville continues to fine tune their game as the end of the regular season draws nearer.

WBB (Eventually) Takes Care of UT Chattanooga 75-49

The Cards needed a huge third quarter to stretch their lead, but the 30-10 stanza was enough to propel Louisville to a 26 point victory over the Moccasins of UT Chattanooga. As is typical, Louisville was led offensively by Asia Durr, who finished with 24 points in 31 minutes. "Nite-Nite"  paced the Cards with 50% shooting from the floor and behind the arc with a 5-5 perfection from the charity stripe. For the second game in a row, the Cards were beaten in the turnover battle by a lesser team, an issue which will come to haunt if it continues against stronger teams. We've discussed Jeff Walz's opinion on turnovers at length in years past, so I'll let this point go, saying only that this is a problem that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

At the end of the day, one can argue that the only stat that matters at the end of the game is the number of points scored by each team. While this is technically true, it would be irresponsible for Louisville to allow ACC teams to rack up double digit offensive rebounds. It would also be in their best interest to not double up on their opponent's number of fouls. Louisville did both of those things last night, but managed to come away with the win thanks, in large part, to abysmal shooting by the Mocs. UTC shot only 32% from the field, 19% from three, and 60% (12-20) at the stripe. Louisville did finish with 4 blocks, which certainly contributed to the poor field goal efficiency, but at some point, the opponent is just missing shots. 

On the positive side, Louisville ultimately won comfortably while allowing the majority of the roster to get into the game. Walz got 11 players onto the floor, and every one recorded a stat of some kind. In fact, every player to see the floor recorded a foul, which could be expected when the team fouls 25 times. To round out the box score, the Cards finished with 35 rebounds, 11 steals, 21 assists (on 28 baskets) and 20 turnovers. Louisville shot 54.9% from the floor, 44.4% from the arc, and 78.6% from the free throw line. Exempting the turnovers, Louisville finished with a pretty respectable box score, and nearly every player contributed positively when given the opportunity.

It is becoming quickly apparent how badly this team will miss Myisha Hines-Allen, as Jazmine Jones led the team in rebounds last night with 7. I can't imagine that Jazmine Jones is the player that Jeff Walz would like to be pulling in 20% of the team's boards on any given night. Sam Fuerhing and Yacine Diop each had 4 boards apiece, which is the same number that Durr, a player definitely not known for her rebounding, finished with. That is not a knock on Asia. Her athleticism is fantastic. That said, Walz's play style with this team should not lend itself to allowing Asia Durr to grab significant numbers of rebounds. It will be nice to see the middles get their feet under them as this season progresses. 

Louisville gets a large break after last night's game, as they are out of action for a full ten days before meeting up with Boise State on the 19th. Boise State will likely be looking for a bit of revenge for the embarrassment that the Cards provided in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last season. Boise State won their opener on Thursday 74-63 over Cal State Northridge, and they'll play two more games before taking on Louisville. Here's hoping Coach Walz can get some of the issues ironed out prior to that matchup, as the games will only continue to get tougher from there.

First-year Chattanooga head women's basketball coach Katie Burrows post-game remarks:

Head Coach Katie Burrows
Opening statement
"Great start to the game. We did everything we were supposed to do defensively. Our rotations from the weak side were excellent; especially compared to Tuesday. It was one of the things we really hammered and focused on in practice. They say defense wins championships but if you can't put the ball in the hole then you're in trouble.


THE FRED REPORT

Song and dance man Fred Astaire 

F- Free Throws -- The Cards went 11-14 for 78.6% from the charity stripe and only three players got to the line. Asia was 5-5, Dana 4-4 and Bionca 2-5. Red roses for the first two and extra hours in the gym with Jess Laemmle for practicing them for Bionca. We'll dole out the capital "F" for the overall "over 70%" marksmanship.

R - Rebounding -- UofL won the battle of the boards 35-29 with J.J, as mentioned, leading the way.
with seven.  Five players had four grabs each and eight out of the 11 Cards that played had at least one. We'll award a letter here for team effort on the boards, but it'll be a small case "r".

E - Effort/Execution -- Louisville struggled early with the offense and committed way too many turnovers, but, got their act together in the third frame and looked to be more engaged, energized and efficient. 20 turnovers is way too many for the team. Just three second chance points is unacceptable, though. The Louisvillians did shoot almost 55% though, so we'll award another small case letter in a "e: here.

D - Defense -- Walz's Warriors did hold UTC to 32.7% shooting and just 3-16 from the deep. They also got 11 steals. The third quarter shutdown of the Mocs offense was impressive. Louisville held the foe to 49 points, another plus. It's a toss up for the letter here, but, I'll go with a 26-point win on the road to award a capital "D" here. 

FINAL FRED TALLY:  F-r-e-D


ON THE AIR

The Knuckleheads assemble today at 11 a.m. for another broadcast of The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour from the magnificent, majestic, media mansion on Mellwood. We'll be without "Queso" Case Hoskins, worn out from today's comprehensive and informative recap...he's off on a bit of relaxation. After all, the guy just got married...we'll cut him a bit of slack.

Jeff and Paulie encourage Jared to prognosticate.

In studio, we laud the return of "Worldwide" Jeff McAdams tinkering with the knobs, levels, Facebook Live and offering his thoughts. Jared escaped from counting nickles and rolling dimes and will be behind a microphone also. Paulie occupies the corner and should be sufficiently "caffeined up" to get through an hour.  We reached out to Paige Sherrard to fill the fourth chair and hope she'll brave the cold to join us. 

A lot to talk about, no doubt, and we hope you'll join us on WCHQ 100.9 FM, or on the WCHQ app, Facebook Live or maybe just stop by with warm stuff to eat and drink and hang out in the "green" room.   Here's the station link: www.wchqfm.com  You can find all you need there. Except Case. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

WBB faces Chattanooga, WSOC at Knoxville -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

DONATION MONTH

November is Donation Month for Cardinal Couple. If you would like to help us continue what we do here -- in 2019 -- please send whatever amount you want to. You can use Pay-Pal, but, if possible, we're prefer you to mail your donations to:



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CARDS TO FACE MOCS

A couple of Cardinal women's squads take Tennessee excursions today. Jeff Walz's WBB squad heads to Chattanooga to take on the Mocs. In honor of that, let's have a little music, maestro! From the late,great Glenn Miller below: 

CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO

I doubt that Coach and the team took a CSX freight train or hopped an Amtrak passenger locomotive to the city that offers Lookout Mountain or Rock City, but they'll gather on the McKenzie Arena floor at 7 p.m. tonight to try and build the season's record to 2-0 against a Chattanooga team that is 1-0 also. 

I'm thinking Louisville wont have much trouble is dispatching the [either] poisonous snakes, type of shoes or accusatory questioning ("You mocking me"?) tonight.  Most fans I've talked to want to see, in no particular order, another Asia assault on an adversary, better interior defense, Walz play 'em all again, continued excellent free throw shooting, Yacine Diop produce another double-double, Kylee, Bionca and Sam be board-warriors and/or Jess Laemmle get more playing time. 

And, chances are, you'll get most of the above. After tonight, the Cards do not return to action until Nov. 19th....and they do it out in Potato Land, taking on Boise State. 

So, what about these Mocs? They won against Lee University n the same night UofL was taking care of business against WKU. Katie Burrows is the new head coach at UTC, replacing one of my favorites (Jim Foster). Her debut 61-55 win over Lee actually counted as an exhibition for the DII Flames. No, I don't know why...

Head WBB Coach Katie Burrows -- UTC

Players to watch for the Choo Choo's? Let's start with 5'8" guard Lakelyn Bouldin. She amassed 13 points against Lee U. and hit seven out of her eight free throw attempts. If Louisville is foul-happy like they were against the Toppers, this might come into play. Next, there is Brooke Burns (no relation to UofL strength and conditioning coach Beth Burns that we know of). She had 10 vs. Lee and is a 5'10" sophomore guard. She grabbed seven rebounds as well, so whichever Cardinal guard that has the assignment on her might be mindful of that stat. And, then, there's Arianne Whitaker, a 6'2" redshirt junior forward who played her high school hoops in Cincinnati and spent time at Winthrop University before settling at Chattanooga. She had four blocked shots on Tuesday night. 

For the Cards, the opening statements will probably start with: play smart, pass the ball effectively, take the good shot, run when you can and rebound. UofL made a point of finding Durr early and often against WKU. We'll see if the cloaking device that made her invisible to the Tops works aganst the Mocs. 

No longer head coach of the Mocs -- Jim Foster

You can view this one on the SoCon Digital network. Here's the link: 

http://www.socondigitalnetwork.com/socon/game/louisville45-at-chattanooga-on-11092018

Another option is listening on glorious 790 WKRD AM's call with Nick Curran's play-by-play and Adrienne Johnson's commentary. I'll do that with no problem since I can't be in Chattanooga. The passing of a close friend has me here in Louisville instead of on the Georgia/Tennessee border. 

Any fans/readers that are making the trip, chime in via the comments section and share your thoughts and observations. We've heard about 100 of Sam Purcell's relatives, friends and such will be attending, since he was born and raised in nearby Dalton, GA -- CARPET CAPITAL OF THE WORLD (...and here I am with hardwood flooring...) 




WSOC STARTS NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY AGAINST VOLS

A couple of hours earlier than hoops today and north of Chattanooga, #15 seed in the Palo Alto quadrant Louisville women's soccer squad will take the pitch against the #2 seeded Tennessee Volunteers. The Cards were (evidently) one of the last "at-large" squads to get in. This one slated for a 5 p.m. start time in Knoxville 

When we prognosticated earlier in the month about both Women's Soccer and Field Hockey's chances of making their respective "Big Dances", the consensus was that Field Hockey stood a better chance of getting in. 

Gee, we're horrible prognosticators. Ask Jared about the Minnie Mink saga story-line.

No doubt, the Kickin' Cards have their work cut out for themselves today at 5 p.m. It is a Louisville squad that prides itself on defense, however, and if they can manage to shut down the Orange attack, maybe Emina Ekic, Brooklyn Rivers, Maisie Whitsett or one of the other Louisville student-athletes can get loose for a score. 

We hope so. We're not ready for the Louisville WSOC season to end yet. 

This match can be viewed on the SEC Network + platform, part of the WATCHESPN network. Tune in at 5 p.m. for the action! Link below: 

http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3457404/louisville-vs-2-tennessee-first-round-ncaa-division-i-womens-soccer-championship

Go Cards! Take two today!! 


VOLLEYBALL AT B.C. Tonight

While WSOC and WBB go south, UofL Volleyball goes north to Boston to take on the Boston College Eagles. The VolleyCards are tied for third on the ACC and could use a dominating and three set win over this ACC foe. 

The outcome could depend on the current status of outside hitter Melanie McHenry. 

Mel's been out the last two games and left the court with assistance pre-game FSU. You'd like to have your kills leader out there, obviously, but if she can't go...it's "next player up" time.

We've heard that there is a possibility Mel  has a strained patella tendon and, if so, could be out for a week or so, and, since the tendon is SO important in jumping, maybe some back row duty after that. Once again, nothing official out of UofL. 

Claire Chaussee has staked a claim on the "next up" role.  We'll see how much court-time she gets. Piper Roe, Megan Sloane and other will most likely see increased time. 

No viewing options that I've seen on tonight's match, which is kinda strange since both are ACC schools and there is a ACC Network Extra out there...live stats are available for the  p.m. start at the link below: 

https://bceagles.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary


FINALLY

(As a side-line, congrats to Louisville MBB and Lou City FC for getting wins last night. "W" is good, the most likable letter in the alphabet...in terms of outcomes, I suppose.)

Chris Mack talks about the MBB win here:  MACK ON WIN

Good luck to Dorcas Wasike in NCAA Cross Country regionals today in South Carolina!

UPDATE: Dorcas wins! Her 19:42.1 time was 5.5 seconds better than the nearest competitor! #L1C4 !! 

And, ESPN2 will televise a football game tonight at 7:30. Syracuse is playing. What's left of UofL Football is expected to attend. 


paulie
xxxxx





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Louisville women's basketball -- Cards knock Mocs out of Dance 82-62...SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ASIA DURR'S 27, MYISHA HINES-ALLEN DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEAD LOUISVILLE...JAZMINE JONES SPARKS OFF BENCH

( The Cardinal Couple Pick 'Em Challenge standings are at the bottom of today's column. We got some good pickers! )  

It took the University of Louisville women's basketball team a few minutes to get the engine running against Chattanooga yesterday in the KFC YUM! Center during their first round game of the NCAA WBB Tournament...but once the Cards picked up the defensive pressure...all things fell into place in the 20-point win over the Southern Conference foe. 

Trailing 8-5 after four minutes, Jeff Walz decided he needed someone to put a little high-octane energy in the Cardinal Cannonball. Hello, Jazmine Jones! The Talhassee, FL freshman entered the game and sank her first shot on a set up by Myisha Hines-Allen. A minute later, the combo stuck again and Jones gave the Cards a 9-8 lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the way. After Sam Fuehring connected inside, "J.J." knocked back another jumper...set up by Mariya Moore this time...and the Cards were up 13-8.

The surge energized Hines-Allen..who delivered the Cards next two scores...one on a nice steal and layup to set the tally at 17-8 with 1:48 left in the first quarter. Moore had been busy setting the table for teammates but took time to eat and her three completed a 15-0 Louisville run over 4:40. At 20-8 the KFC YUM! crowd (estimated at 5400 and maybe 3500 Cardinal fans) began to breath earlier and the Cards, despite allowing two Queen Alford threes in the final 50 seconds, held a 20-14 edge.

Asia Durr had been silent in the first ten minutes, with only a free throw to her name, but she was about to grab the microphone and turn the volume up to 11. 

Hines-Allen was having big fun in the paint and produced the Cards first two baskets of the second period. Briahanna Jackson entered the game at the 9:03 mark to an appreciative roar from the Cardinal faithful.  Durr bombed in a three with 7:36 until half and the Cards had their first double-digit of the contest at 27-16. Two minutes later, she provided a door-slammer (should we call it a Durr-slammer?) to a brief Mocs run with a jumper. Queen Alford shed the regal robes and busted another three to get the Mocs close at 29-24 but Durr responded her a three to give the Cards a 32-24 lead. 

Jim Foster's club wasn't quite ready to climb aboard the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and head south just yet. Another four-point run had them within four at 32-28 and Walz called a quick 30 second timeout to stem the tide. It worked...the Cards finished the half on a 8-2 run that featured a Kylee Shook bucket inside, another Durr three, Jones layup and Jackson free throw.

40-30 at the half. The Cards were winning the points in paint battle 20-8, had six fast break points and were shooting a sparkling 60.7% (17-28). Durr had 12 points, Hines-Allen 10 points plus eight rebounds and J.J. 8. Moore had five assists for the Cards.  

It looked as if the Cards were finding their key components and getting valuable lifts off the bench. No halftime cookies yesterday for Paulie...he was stuck up by the curtains in Sec. 119. There WILL be a rant about that at the end of today's column. You just might want to avoid reading it if you are of a sensitive nature...

Louisville and Chattanooga pretty much traded baskets and turnovers in the third quarter. The Mocs were still firing threes every chance they could get (6 for 14 in the first half) and Louisville was working the interior. Shook and Hines-Allen built the UofL lead to 46-36 in the first three minutes of the quarter. The Cards got balanced scoring for most the the 10 minutes...baskets by Durr, Fuehring and Jones gave Louisville a 58-47 lead with 2:10 to play in the period and the score stood at 58-49 after three. Durr led the scores with 18 and Jones was up to 12 points...along with Hines-Allen. 

A 9-0 Louisville run to start the fourth quarter put the whipped creme on top of the pumpkin pie. Durr was on a three-point feeding frenzy and after hitting her third one of the quarter with 3:57 to play... the damage was totaled out to 77-55 Cards. Walz began emptying the bench at the 2:50 mark...and Brianna Jones layup with 31 second left made it 82-62 Louisville. 

A nice opening round win after a slow beginning. Durr showed the consistency we've come to expect for her and the smile that can light up a room. 27 points on an afternoon where she only had one after 10 minutes. Hines-Allen another dominating performance inside. Moore taking to assists like a squirrel does to sunflower seeds by passing out 10 and a major contribution off the bench from J.J. with 14 points and Kylee with 10. Cortnee not needed yesterday; a great learning experience afforded to the young'uns in the paint and a chance to save Ms. Walton for the battle ahead Monday night against Ms. Russell & Company.

Louisville moves on. They'll face Tennessee Monday night at 6:30. The Vols finally pulled away from pesky Dayton to win 66-57. 


Cardinal fans...5400 in the arena for these games is a absolute joke. Especially when about 1/3 were from the other three schools. Get out, get tickets for Monday night and give these well-deserving women your support and attendance. It'll be the last time you get a chance to see them in the KFC YUM! Center until fall. Help them get by a tough Tennessee opponent. 

Yes, we know...the ticket prices are higher. The men are playing in Indy. But, this team could use your support Monday night. They thrive and succeed when the KFC YUM! Center is rockin' with the red-clad folks getting loud and proud. 

Tennessee will bring theirs. Do we really want to have more orange in our facility than red? Buck up, spend the extra couple dollars and support your team. 



HOW DID FRED DO? 

"Lamont, run down to that ticket office and get us
a trilogy of tickets for Monday night. Pick one up
for Aunt Esther,. She'll scare Tennessee to  death.

Free Throws -- 3 for 8 in a game where only 32 fouls were called. Chattanooga went 10-12. 37.5% gets you no letter. Never.  

Rebounds -- A 34-29 edge for UofL. Hines-Allen the stud in the paint with 12 and Jackson showing why we are all so happy she's back with six in 19 minutes. We'll give the capital "R" out here.

Effort/Execution -- A 14- 0 fast break advantage is seldom heard of from this Cardinal squad...so we like that effort.  The Cards shot 61%. Excellent! 46-16 domination in the paint. The "Big 3" all played well and got timely support from two freshmen and the return of B.J. Yes, a capital "E" is the call here. 

Defense --  UofL held the Mocs to 37.5% shooting. They created 15 turnovers and had eight steals. Four Mocs did reach double figures but after that...six Mocs combined for just seven points. 10-27 three-point defense...we'll take it. Let's end the Fred segment with a capital "D".   

FINAL FRED TALLY:  -_R-E-D


WHAT WE LIKED

"Durr-mi-nation"  Asia Durr is a delight to watch on the court. So fortunate to have a cast that compliments, adds and contributes to her abilities. She's a special talent and draws the attention...which allows Myisha, Jazz, Mariya and the crew the chance to do their thing. 

No block party today. One of the worries going into the game was Chattanooga's Jasmine Joiner's ability to reject shots. She ended up with zero. A big, fat, "No". One block for the game for the Mocs. Myisha, Kylee and Sam were 15 for 24 from the floor. We'll take 62.5% from those three all day, every day. 

Action Jackson.  In her return to the court, B.J. logged 19 minutes, six rebounds, five assists, no turnovers, a steal and 1-3 from the floor. It's the little things she does, too. The defense, the tracking down of loose balls. Her guidance at the point. It's great to see her back, with a healthy back, and we sincerely hope she is ready and healthy for Tennessee. 

THINGS TO WORK ON 

Jim Foster verifies direction to locker room. 

Second chances. It's said everyone deserves a second chance but the Cards got only four second chance points yesterday. Of course, when you shoot 61%, you not gonna have many...but out of the missed 23 shots...we'd like to see a higher number. 

Free throws. We hate to drag that horse back out into the starting gate again...but we're still in favor of Walz recruiting the entire Mercer County girls high school squad next year for free throw offense. Today, not a big factor but in the quest to win six straight games...gotta hit the ones that no one is guarding you on, Cards. 

SO...

One down, five to go. Against an opponent that you defeated earlier in the season by 16...and in the third game in three days...one expected a more-rested Cardinal squad might perform better. They did. We hope the Durr efforts, the Hines-Allen strength and the Moore all-around play is present Monday night. The Cards will face a strong team on Tennessee that goes to the boards well with Russell and her paint buddies and the elusive and talented Diamond DeShields. An up-and-down UT squad with impressive wins and surprising losses in 31 games. Let's hope the squad that lost to Alabama twice shows up.

JIM FOSTER, MOCS DISCUSS LOSS AND LIFE

WALZ, CARDS DISCUSS WIN


THE RANT

Here's an idea...Let's put a 60 yr. old man with two shot knees, a deteriorating hip, failing eyesight and the beginning stages of neuropathy 100 stair steps up from the court. 

Let's banish a guy who was the only Louisville media representative at the ACC WBB Tournament, present at several road trips and often the only one asking questions at post-game press conferences up to where he can reach the curtains and barely make out the players' numbers

First down, UofL! (What, we're not at football?) 

No hugs and kisses and a bunch of boos and hisses for the gigantically stupid and sadistic media relations/seat chart moron for that. 

Fortunately, a wise, trusted and VERY important member of the Cardinal basketball community has promised to change that for Monday night's game. Sonja won't be panicked that her husband will fall down and "go boom". 

My contempt for certain, "so-called administrative" ding-dongs at UofL continues to grow. Why do a certain few, who don't shoot, coach or create any excitement on the court have to ruin a situation (and do it knowingly with no regrets) for someone who has been a constant, comprehensive and consistent media coverer of WBB for over a decade and a fan for over 40 years? 

Hiya, curtain. My knees still hurtin'. 

My love for this squad, this team, this coaching staff and this fan-base is off-the-charts and never failing. Always has been, always will be. 

My furor and dislike of the self-important, self-effacing and bloated egos of a certain few who discriminate against the handicapped is real, too. With fair and just reason. You can stick it where the sun don't shine...just like you stuck me where the sun don't shine yesterday.  Keep dissing and disrespecting a non-profit, for love-of-game voice if you choose. It's your world...and, you...of course, are the reason the fans flock in....certainly not for the game or players...right? 

But don't be surprised if that voice gets louder and more critical of you're slights and cruel, hurtful deliberate decisions. Or just decides to ignore you and your idiocy. 

I am boycotting today's press conference previewing the Tennessee game with Walz and the UofL players. Whether I show up for the Monday night one will depend on whether the discrimination has ended.


**************************************************************


LACROSSE FALLS IN A CLOSE ONE TO B.C.

14-11 was the final in Boston yesterday...the Eagles jumping out to a 9-0 run in the early going before Louisville scored five of the final six goals of the first half to climb with five at 10-5. 

The Cards would mount a serious rally in the second half and get within three at 12-9 with 15 minutes to play. B.C. would rally back for a 14-9 edge before Louisville produced the last two goals of the contest. 

It's ACC Lacrosse, folks. The best in the land. You're going to lose a few. Hannah Koloski led the LAX scorers with four goals, Meghan Siverson added three. 

Kellie Young reviews: 

"Although I am proud of our second half effort, we cannot put ourselves at such a deficit and expect to win. This has to be an eye-opener for our players about personal preparation for success." 

The Cards (8-3, 1-2) come home to face Duquesne Tuesday March 21 with a noon start. 


*************************************************************

SOFTBALL DOWNS PITT 5-2



Alison "Mike" Szydlowski and Lillie Goetz delivered two RBI's and Maryssa Becker and Megan Hensley combined for a two-run, five-hit circle performance in the BatCards 5-2 win over ACC rival Pitt yesterday at Ulmer Stadium. 

"Mike" produced a two-run, bases loaded single in the first to give the Cards the early lead. Goetz pinch-hit for a two-RBI, bases loaded single in the sixth for the Cards. 

Hensley (5-3) went six innings in the "W" and Becker saved the victory for Louisville (17-7) who will face the Panthers today at noon at Ulmer to close out the series. 

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THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR

The rebroadcast our our Saturday morning broadcast THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR is available at www.crescenthillradio.com

We had a fun and fast hour reviewing Louisville men's hoops. previewing the WBB Chattanooga game and discussing swimming, softball, lacrosse and more! 

Thanks to Case and Worldwide for their always excellent job as part of out tri-host, mad-cap crew. 

LINK: THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR 3/18/17


CARDINAL COUPLE PICK 'EM STANDINGS

Here are your top twenty. If you don't see your name, feel free to e-mail Sonja at cardinalcouple@twc.com for your record. 

Some very nice prognostication here! We've always known we have an informed reader base when it comes to women's basketball and these numbers bear that out. 



29-3   Paulie, K. Starks, Kenny S. 
28-4   Charlie Mc., Joe Hill, Perry S., Cliff, Curtis Franklin, 
27-5   Sporto, Beth, Doug A., The Deb Factor, Makers not Shooters, 
26-6   Nick O., Jenny, 
25-7   David W., Case, Christy, 
24-8   Blue Lou, Sonja

31 games to go! Best of luck to all and Go, Cards....GO !!!!         


paulie
xxxxx