Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Cardinals win in Florida

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


Louisville Women’s Basketball made another trip to sunny Florida escaping a cold, wet, and icy ,wintry day.  The team travelling to UCF to close out the home and away, trying to sweep the Knights in their lone year in the American. 

The starting five for the Cardinals were Tia Gibbs, Shoni Schimmel, Sara Hammond, Antonita Slaughter and Asia Taylor.    Bria Smith did not play due to knee pain.  The Cardinals did not need Smith, thus letting her rest the knee for the Sunday game against Uconn (presumably).  

 

At times the team was moving the ball well and pounding the ball inside with Sara Hammond and Asia Taylor and Emmonnie Henderson, growing more confident with every game.  The Cards then went in to slumber mode, seemingly checking out for extended periods during the half. 

Emmonnie Henderson came off the bench with some immediate defensive prowess creating a steal and hit two beautiful shots impacting the game immediately offensively.   Henderson had a great half of play providing a solid performance.   Henderson was leading scorer for the Cards in the first half with 10 points and 2 rebounds for the freshman in 8 minutes of play.  I continue to be more and more impressed with “ E”. 

Megan Deines also came off the bench and made an immediate impact as well.  Strong defense, pulling down rebounds, and back-to-back “and one’s” kept Deines in the game as Shoni Schimmel hit the bench with early fouls.  Deines had an impressive stat line with 5 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 11 minutes.   This is a very strong performance from Deines, and welcomed with Smith watching this one from the sidelines. 

The halftime stats have the Cardinals outrebounded by the Knights by two.

The Cardinals had 11 assists on 18 field goals.  Overall it was a good half of play with good ball movement, and a very strong performance by the post players.  The Cards lead at that half, 44-33. 

The second half opened with the same five.   The Cardinals started strong with a strong defensive effort creating several turnovers and going on a 7-2 run to lift the Cards to the greatest lead at 16 with 14 minutes to go in the game.  With 13+ minutes left in the game Shoni hit a three, scoring in double digits for the 22^nd consecutive game, her best streak ever.  The BOOM appeared to be in full effect. 

Then, the air went out of the Cardinals sail, and the mental lapse was in full effect.

The outcome of this game was never in question.  However, they made it harder that it had to be.  The Cardinals win it 74-59.   It is hard to nitpick against a team that is 23-1, winning its 16^th in a row, setting a school record.  However, with UConn looming on the horizon, the tournament a short distance in the future, there is certainly room to grow. 

The biggest take away from the second half, for me, was the lack of a killer instinct to put the game away.  Coach Walz has been talking about it all season, and it was evident again tonight.   The Cards started the second half strong, up by as much as 20 points, the team takes their foot off the gas pedal and let the Knights claw back in to the game. 

Missed layups, unnecessary fouling that put the Knights at the line time after time, silly turnovers.  Mental lapses?  Over confidence?  I am not sure, and I know Coach Walz is trying to understand it.   The Cardinals have been their own worst enemies late in games when up by double digits.

The long stretches of mental lapses and not putting the game away when having the opportunity has not hurt the Cardinals, yet.  That is about to change with the upcoming meetings against Connecticut and the rematch with Rutgers at the YUM Center later this month.    With stiffer competition, and every team playing to live another day in March, play like this could knock the team out of the tourney early. 

Up next for the Cardinals is Connecticut on Sunday.  Lapses against Uconn, like the one’s thus far this season, will have the Cardinals coming home with a very, very lopsided loss.  I know this team is talented, and is able to compete.  We will learn on Sunday just how tough this team is, and just how much more work is to do before March hits. 

jenny o’bryan