WBB Season Recap -- ACC Network Takeover July 8 -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Rolling into July

Sadly, the joy from a long weekend has come to a close and it's back to work. I'm bad at taking days off from work as I am now roughly five and a half months into the new job and have not taken a vacation day nor have I scheduled any for the near future. But these holidays remind me how nice it is to have that extra day or two off here and there so perhaps it's time to look at some vacation days.

To answer Paulie's question from yesterday, it was a rather good Fourth of July. It started off running the tech equipment at church. Now, I'm not at tech expert like Worldwide and Case, but I know enough to keep the screens at church, the Zoom feed, the video recording, and the sound board running. Katy and I went out to EP Tom Sawyer State Park for a walk with friends. She was too scared to go check out the abandoned Sauerkraut Cave (if you locals know what that is), and then we dug out some old fireworks stashed in the closet from a few years back and set those off on a concrete surface at Joe Creason Park. Of course we were smart by staying far back, dousing everything with water, and then cleaning up our mess. So it was a rather relaxing day for me.

Women's Basketball Season Recap

We'll transition on into the reason you clicked on today's article. With plenty of other news in recent weeks our sports recaps got put on a brief hold, but we return with our final recap- women's basketball.

Louisville finished the season 26-4 with a 14-2 mark in conference play. The .875 win percentage in the ACC was enough to claim the regular season title, barely beating out NC State. This was Louisville's fourth-straight regular season title.

Some of the overall highlights for the year included another Elite Eight appearance, the program's first ever #1 ranking in any poll, and Dana Evans being named ACC Player of the Year for the second straight year. UofL has had a player hold the ACC POTY title for four straight seasons.

COVID-19 made the season quite challenging as the Cards played in what felt like a near-empty arena instead of the normal boisterous crowd of 10,000. Fortunately, Paulie and I both found ourselves inside the temporarily-reformed KFC Yum! Center. I'm sure he agrees with me that the overall experience was not as enjoyable as years past with an empty press room, no meal, and no in-person postgame.

The season was still young when the program went on a pause before Christmas with contact tracing. The Cards held a 5-0 record at that point and had garnered national attention following a 116-75 destruction of a ranked DePaul team. Besides the expected breakout performance by Dana Evans, both Hailey Van Lith and Olivia Cochran had risen to the spotlight as freshmen.

Jeff Walz worked his magic and pulled teams out of his sleeves left and right as the Cards made a last minute schedule on New Year's Day. January proved to be a busy month with 11 games played. February and March each had seven games.

Louisville found themselves facing some in-state opponents in Eastern Kentucky, Northern Kentucky, and Bellarmine, but Kentucky and Western Kentucky were nowhere to be seen due to various reasons.

Midway through the month of January, we saw the Cards cruise by Florida State in an uncharacteristic fashion, which then helped propel Louisville into their first ever #1 ranking. The Cards held that spot for a couple weeks, pushing their record to 16-0 before welcoming #2 NC State to the KFC Yum! Center. The Wolfpack welcomed back Elisa Cunane for that game, who had been out for an extended period.

The NC State game was primarily defensive in the first half and was a close game headed into the final quarter before the Wolfpack began pulling away almost immediately at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Cards answered by winning four straight including thumping Boston College and Pitt. It wasn't until a trip to Tallahassee in late February that the second blemish appeared on the record. The Cards and Noles were tied with 6:29 left in the game before FSU went on a 21-12 run to close the game.

However, a win in South Bend to close the regular season sealed the deal for the ACC title and a #1-seed in the ACC Tournament. Louisville had some difficulty against Wake Forest before handling Syracuse with a little more ease. Then, came the rematch against NC State. Louisville held a one-point lead with 1:59 remaining before Cunane hit a free throw to tie the score and Raina Perez knocked in a prayer with two seconds left to take the win.

A 23-3 mark earned the Cards a #2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. NC State joined the ranked of Stanford, UConn, and South Carolina for the other #1-seeds. The Wolfpack fell to Indiana in the Sweet Sixteen and were the only #1-seed to not make the Final Four.

Louisville found themselves matched up with Marist in the opening round. Fans were stunned when the Red Foxes held a 15-12 lead after the first quarter. It's safe to say Coach Walz lit a fire under his team's belt as they won the next two quarters 17-9 and 26-9 on the way to a 31-point win.

The second round was a match-up with #7-seed Northwestern. This one was even more terrifying as the Wildcats raced out to a 25-10 first quarter lead and a 32-20 halftime lead. Where was Louisville's offense and defense? It showed up in the second half as the Cards won those quarters 20-8 and 22-13 for a nine-point win.

#6-seed Oregon was next up for the Cards. The Ducks were considered a potential dark horse for the tournament and underrated by many due to the size and talent of Sedona Prince. Prince was one of the first players to break the horrible conditions the women's players dealt with as opposed to the luxuries the men's players had for the NCAA Tournament. For that, we do thank Prince. But the brilliance of the UofL coaching staff paid off as they would go onto 29-14 halftime lead and win by 18. Oregon's offense was tough and UofL held them to three single-digit scoring quarters.

Then we get to the Elite Eight match-up against Stanford. The Cardinal (no "S") were the favorite to win the title with a near-unstoppable offense and defense. Louisville opened the game strong with a 21-13 lead in the first quarter and a 12-point halftime lead. Stanford fired back in the third quarter but a late quarter jumper gave Louisville a two-point lead. We then come to the dreaded fourth quarter. Stanford was known for having one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country and they came alive in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal knocked down five three's en route to a 30-13 quarter and sent Louisville home.

Stanford went on to beat South Carolina by one the next round amidst controversy over the officiating. They then defeated #3-seed Arizona by one in the final with more officiating controversy.

Still, it's hard to argue that it wasn't a good season. The fact that a season happened at all makes the year successful. But winning another conference title against some tough teams in the ACC, earning a #1 ranking, and advancing to another Elite Eight is pretty darn good.

Unfortunately, we did see the last of Dana Evans in a Louisville uniform, the only player to graduate. She did go on and get drafted in the second round of the WNBA Draft. The other players to depart were Elizabeth Balogun, Nyah Green, and Malea Williams, all who transferred out.

From a scoring standpoint, this was Evans' team, as her 602 points flirted with doubling up the next closest scorer in HVL (335). Kianna Smith also broke the 300-point mark on the season with 319. Louisville averaged 76.8 points per game on the year with an average margin of victory of 16. The Cards also shot .788 from the charity stripe, which is high enough for a capital "F" in the F-R-E-D Report.

The Cards outrebounded opponents by an average of 3.5 rebounds per game with much thanks to Cochran, Elizabeth Dixon, HVL, and Mykasa Robinson for getting scrappy. Louisville also destroyed opponents in blocks 144-77. Four Cards were in the double-digits with blocks this year.

A lot of credit was given to Robinson, who many have considered the "blue-collar" on the team. Although Kasa wasn't the big scorer she was the do-it-all player and wasn't afraid to get down on the floor for a loose ball. 

HVL showcased her talent by being able to score from anywhere on the floor. Her Kobe imitation was rather on-point with a .388 three-point percentage. She also dished out 63 assists.

Kianna Smith also proved to be reliable on offense once she was healthy from injury. Her 11.4 points per game ranked second on the team and showed no nerves when being able to score in a tight situation.

Dixon (7.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Cochran (9.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg) were quite the dynamic duo down low. They went up against plenty of larger opponents and held their own. They combined for 58 blocks and 24 steals will limiting their turnovers to a combined 77.

Louisville had some trouble with being able to build a lead and run with it as many games came down to the fourth quarter before relying on Evans to help pull away down the stretch or be the buzzer-beater scorer for the win. But the stingy defense is what helped Louisville steal a few wins.

There is plenty to look forward to next season with a talented roster returning. Louisville has a couple young star freshmen joining the squad in Payton Verhulst and Sydni Schetnan. A pair of solid transfers also join the Cards this year in Emily Engstler (senior, Syracuse) and Chelsie Hall (grad student, Vanderbilt). The two experienced players are expected to play just one year with the Cards, but will have an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 year.

Louisville Takes Over ACC Network July 8

If I waited until Thursday to tell you about the Cards taking over the ACC Network you'd have already missed a few events so here's your early notice to get your DVR ready for Thursday, July 8. It's ALL LOUISVILLE ALL DAY.

I looked into the TV schedule for the ACC Network that day and here is what they currently have listed:

July 8

6:00 AM- Baseball vs Florida State (year not listed)

9:00 AM- Lacrosse vs Colorado (2021 season)

11:00 AM- Women's Basketball vs Florida State (year not listed- I think the 2020-2021 season)

1:00 PM- Field Hockey vs Virginia (2020 season, ACC semifinal)

2:30 PM- Volleyball vs Pittsburgh (2020 season)

4:30 PM- Men's Basketball vs Kent State (NCAA Basketball Classic)

6:30 PM- Women's Soccer vs Syracuse (2020 season)

8:30 PM- Lacrosse vs Colorado (2021 season)

10:30 PM- Wake Forest vs Louisville (NCAA Football Classics- I think the 2019 season)

July 9

1:30 AM- Field Hockey vs Virginia (2020 season, ACC semifinal)

3:00 AM- Baseball vs Florida State (year not listed)

This schedule is subject to change. I wouldn't be surprised to see one of the duplicates switch over to men's soccer or softball.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

CARDS 3X BOW OUT IN SEMIFINALS -- WNBA SUNDAY -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

LOUISVILLE 3X3 SQUAD FALLS IN USA BASKETBALL 3X3 SEMIFINALS

The joy and excitement of basketball in June that the gang here at Cardinal Couple has been reporting on over the last couple of days continued Sunday. The Cardinals squad of Liz Dixon, Kasa Robinson, Kianna Smith and Payton Verhulst reaching the semifinals of the Red Bull 2021 USA Basketball 3X3 Nationals yesterday. 

A trip to the finals, though, was thwarted when the Cards went up against Force 10 on Sunday afternoon and fell 17-13 to the squad composed of four former collegiate and WNBA players in Cierra Burdick (Tennessee/Las Vegas Aces), Linnae Harper (Kentucky/Ohio St./Minnesota Lynx), Alexis Peterson (Syracuse/Seattle Storm) and Megan Huff (Hawaii/Utah/Las Vegas Aces.

The Cardinal contingent had defeated Force 10 on Saturday 16-10 in pool play but the Force squad turned the tables on the Cards Sunday. In the event's "different" scoring structure -- where a "3" is worth two points and a regular basket worth one point -- Liz Dixon and Kianna Smith led the way for the Cards in scoring. Smith finished with six points and Dixon five. 

An impressive showing by the four Cardinals, who went 3-2 during the two days of action aat the Naismith Hall of Fame facility. Louisville defeated Maryland, the Midwest MoneyMakers and Force 10, while taking an overtime loss to Oregon and, ultimately the tournament champs...Force 10. .

It's probably way too early to accurately speculate how these Cardinals four will figure in to the 2021-22 UofL women's basketball squad...but one would think Smith and Robinson are prime contenders for starting roles and significant minutes, Dixon being part of a powerful post presence with Olivia Cochran and Verhulst seeing significant time at wing or guard. And Merissah Russell is competing for Canada in the FIBA Women's Americup 2021 -- she's just one of four collegiate players on the Canadian squad. 

We'll see...Jeff Walz and the Louisville coaches have a roster of nine returnees from 2020-21 and four newcomers that will definitely compete for court time.  The Cards could probably enter two squads in ACC play this next season and both would finish in the top three of the  conference standings. Opposing coaches couldn't be blamed if they throw their hands up in the air in frustration when they try to figure out who to stop and key on int the Cardinal lineup.

I can't wait....how about you? 

CARDS IN WNBA SUNDAY

Sunday WNBA action featured three former Cardinals in action with their two WNBA squads. 

It was a puzzling drubbing administered to Myisha Hines-Allen's Washington Mystics yesterday by the Atlanta Dream. After a close first half, where the Dream held a narrow 51-49 lead, the wheels fell of the train for the DC squad and Atlanta put together a 50-29 second-half thumping of Washington to win 101-78 in "the ATL". 

Dream guards Courtney Williams and Odyssey Sims combined for 41 points and the Mystics had a costly 17 turnovers in their worst loss of the season. Myisha led Washington in scoring with 16 points and had six rebounds for the Mystics, who fall to 4-6 with the road loss. 

Meanwhile, it was a good start for the New York Liberty's west coast journey, knocking off the Phoenix Mercury 85-83 and the Cardinal greats had a great showing. Jazmine Jones had 16 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes for NYL, and she hit the go-ahead three-pointer with a minute to go to give the Libs the win. Kylee Shook had 10 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes

The Liberty got the win without Sabrina Ionescu, who is day-to-day with an ankle injury and did not see court time in Phoenix on Sunday. Hopefully she'll recover soon for the east coast squad....but here's hoping Jaz can continue to make the most out of Ionescu's absence. 

Have a meaningful Monday and stay cool! 

paulie

Louisville Basketball in the Summer? -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards to Compete in Red Bull USA 3v3 Tournament

The Louisville Cardinals aren't waiting until October to get back on the court together. While not every player is able to be a member of the team in the 2021 Red Bull USA Basketball 3v3 Nationals, those that are will get important playing time together. Representing the Cards in this event are MyKasa Robinson, Kianna Smith, Payton Verhulst, and Liz Dixon. One of the best things about this lineup is that it means Verhulst will get quality play time and competition with her new teammates without having to wait until the actual season rolls around. The other great thing is that if there is any basketball player made for a 3v3 tournament, it's Kasa. Hopefully this can help her get her offense on track in a more open environment.

Along with Louisville, seven other teams are competing on the women's side. Among them are four other university named teams: Kansas State, NC State, Maryland, and Oregon. The other three teams are also composed of college players, but none of those teams has more than one player from the same school. Of the non-university associated teams, only three of twelve players are still in school. None of the players on the men's side are college aged.

The event will take place in its entirety over the next two days at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Today will be pool play with the single elimination tournament taking place tomorrow. Because there are only eight teams on the women's side (there are 15 men's teams), all of the women's teams will advance out of pool play to the quarterfinals. Today's games will be used for seeding. In Louisville's pool are "Force 10", Maryland, and Oregon. The Cards will get their first game underway today at 11:05 against Force 10. They have the first game of the day on the women's side. They'll then take on Oregon at 4:55 and Maryland at 6:35. The quarterfinals begin tomorrow morning at 9:15 and the finals will be played at 2:15PM. Every game in the tournament will be streamed live on the NBA's Twitch Channel (Link here).

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour returns this week, and, for the first time in a long time, there is a chance at a full house. I only say chance because Daryl has a chance to head to Indy to watch Dana Evans play agaeinst the Fever, so we'll see if that comes to fruition. Either way, we'll have at least four as I return for the first time in a long time. We'll talk about my adventures, the latest news in UofL women's athletics, and we'll have a good old fashioned Cardinal Couple Quiz. Be sure to tune in at 11AM on the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel for the live show. As always, you can check out the replay on YouTube, and since I'm back, the podcast will return to feeds as well. I deeply apologize for its absence. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Louisville Thumps DePaul -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Cards Break Scoring Record in 116-75 Victory

Louisville and DePaul played even in the first and fourth quarters last night. The scoring, unfortunately for the Demon Deacons, was rather one-sided in the middle two quarters. Louisville used a 31-13 second quarter and a 40-17 third quarter to take a fifty point lead into the final frame. Did I mention they scored 101 in those first three quarters? The Cards were generous enough to not score for the remaining four minutes after breaking the record, allowing DePaul to make the final score more respectable (?) and making it easier for the record to be broken again.

Louisville's big offensive night was well spread out, with four players combining for 81 points. Additionally, every player that touched the floor, except for Elizabeth Balogun, scored. To her credit, Balogun played just 11 minutes, the second fewest on the team, and picked up three rebounds, an assist, and four blocks. The player earning the fewest minutes was one we have lamented about not making the most of her time on the floor. Liz Dixon changed that last night. Garnering just nine minutes, Dixon was 6/6 from the floor for 12 points and added four rebounds and a block. She had a few turnovers but just one foul. 

Unfortunately for Dixon, it is going to be extremely hard for Walz to keep Olivia Cochran off the floor. She finished last night with another double-double, picking up 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes on the court. She was 8/9 from the floor and 3/4 from the line, and added two assists to her stat sheet as well. To this point, Cochran has been just as good as advertised, and she has staked her claim as the big in a small lineup. 

The terrifying guard tandem of Dana Evans and Hailey Van Lith were back last night as well. The pair scored a combined 41, added seven rebounds, a block, and two steals, and Evans picked up seven assists to go along with HVL's one. Hailey was robbed of a couple of other assists on some whipped passes to the inside that were mishandled, but so it goes. These two are going to continue to be a problem for every team Louisville faces. 

Speaking of future problems, Kianna Smith made her Louisville debut last night, and it was quite a night. In 22 minutes off the bench (the third highest court time on the team), Smith finished with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists, a block, and two steals. She was 9/14 from the floor and 3/7 from beyond the arc. That'll do. 

From a game flow perspective, there isn't much to talk about. Louisville came out firing and stayed hot throughout the game. DePaul, on the other hand, came in averaging 14 made threes per game and missed their first 11. At one point, Louisville led the shooting percentage battle by 35 points. They finished with a 32 point margin. That's how you beat a top-25 team by 40+. 

For the score prediction contest, our fearless leader Paulie sent me the results this morning. To preface the final results, no one was close. Paulie and I finished tied for the lead at 34 total points off. Because my pick was dead on for DePaul's score, Paulie conceded victory to me. From the other Cardinal Couple guys, Jeff was off by 37 and Jared by 38. Arthur was our closest reader, tying with Jared at 38. Arthur was also the closest to picking Louisville's final score, though he still missed it by 25.

The FRED/CASE Reports

For my first game of the season, a top-25 matchup at that, I'll give a bonus and do the FRED and CASE reports.

Turns out there's a architectural firm that gives out this award. How convenient.

F-Free Throws: Louisville DePaul was 9/10 from the line in the second and fourth quarters. They were just 16/27 in the first and third. They finished at just 67.6% from the charity stripe, including missing a technical free throw. That won't cut it, and it's worth 'no letter'. Oops, that's not right. Check where you are in the box score, Case. Louisville was 12/16 from the line, good for 75%. They did still miss a technical free throw, but that's a 'capital F'. 

R-Rebounds: A 55-40 victory in rebounding is a strong showing. Louisville allowed 21 offensive rebounds and only grabbed 13 of their own, but I can't ignore a 15 rebound deficit. 'Capital R'.

E-Effort: Louisville shot really well, picking up a final shooting percentage of 60.5%. They left points on the table in the last five minutes though, and fell off with just 40% shooting in the fourth. They also finished with 22 turnovers. I considered going with a lowercase e because we want perfection here, but that seems insane when you set a scoring record on a neutral court against a top-25 team. 'Capital E'.

D-Defense: This one is easy. Louisville had 11 blocks, eight steals, forced 12 non-stolen turnovers (a total of 20), and held DePaul to 28.4% shooting (just 14.8% from three). It's a 'capital D' and it's not close.

C-Care: Louisville, as I mentioned, turned the ball over quite a few times. They lost the turnover battle 22-20, and committed right at DePaul's average turnovers forced (26/game coming into last night). We're looking for better than that. No letter.

A-Assists: As we know, assists will be hard to ace with that many turnovers, but how did Louisville fair? The Cards finished with 49 made baskets, and assisted on 26 of them. That's a shade over 50% assists, which is what we're looking for. To even give the ATO ratio a run for its money with that many TOs is impressive, but that many assists is primed for a great ATO, and Louisville couldn't make that happen. Lowercase a.

S-Steals: The Cards had 8 steals, which is over 7.5, but they tied with DePaul's 8. That's typically only good for a lowercase, but blocks have their place as well, and Louisville finished with 11 to DePaul's 0. Given that, I'll say 'uppercase S'.

E-Efficiency: Easy money here. 75% from the line, 60.5% from the field, and 37.5% from beyond the arc for good measure. That's an 'uppercase E'. 

So that'll finish the Cards with an F-R-E-D and a _-a-S-E. It seems amazing to set a scoring record with some of the issues Louisville had with turnovers, but that should probably terrify teams even more than the final score. If the Cards can clean up turnovers, they'll be rolling out a high-powered offense even when they aren't shooting the lights out. Louisville gets UT Martin next, tomorrow at 12 on the ACC Network.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

I'm a bit late getting the article up, so the Radio Hour is upon us. Join Paulie, Jeff, Jared, and myself on the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel as we take a look at last night's game, the WNBA draft lottery that happened at halftime, and preview tomorrow's matchup against the Skyhawks. The live show begins at 11AM EST and you can catch the re-air on YouTube immediately after, or subscribe to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour in your favorite podcast player.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Led by WBB's 36-point win, Cards Have Busy Friday -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Field Hockey Falls to UNC

After picking up a much needed victory over Syracuse in the ACC tournament to get the late season back on track and pad the NCAA tournament resume once more, Louisville ran into the buzzsaw that is North Carolina. The Tarheels have been the number one team in the country for most of the year, currently sitting undefeated, and continued to show why yesterday. North Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The Heels scored once more in the fourth before Louisville was able to grab a goal to keep the final score a bit kinder at 3-1.

Bethany Russ was the goalscorer in this one, picking up her tenth goal of the year off of corner assist by Mercedes Pastor. It was one of Louisville's seven corner attempts, and the inability to capitalize on those corner opportunities has plagued the Cards all year long. Though the Cards were only 1-7, it should also be said that UNC was only 1-6. While they have struggled in scoring on penalty corners this season, Louisville has at least generally been equally as stingy on the defensive side.

Louisville now sits at 15-5 as they await their fate for the NCAA tournament, but three of their five losses have come in the last five games. Given that the Cards made up for a road loss to William and Mary with a road win over Duke in the next game and immediately followed a loss to Syracuse with a win over the Orange, perhaps things aren't as doom and gloom as they seem. Louisville still sits at 6th in the country based on the last rankings and it would be very hard to see them not getting into the tournament. Selection for the 18 team tournament is tomorrow, and we'll be sure to keep you updated on the future of the Cards.

Volleyball Picks Up Hard Fought Win in Miami

Seemingly unable to play a match that is not a barnburner this season, Louisville Volleyball went on the road to Miami and grabbed a five set win that may have gone forever if you had to win by two sets. Each team alternated set wins, and the fifth set went into extra points. In total, the sets were decided by only 20 points. The minimum number is 10, and the first set score was 25-16. As you might expect based on such a tight score, the two teams were also well matched in most other stats. Louisville had only eleven more kills and two more blocks, while Miami had three more aces and the two teams tied in errors. 

Louisville was once again led offensively by the trio that has stepped up in a big way since the loss of Melanie McHenry. Aiko Jones led all scorers in the match with 20 kills, but Claire Chaussee was only one behind her (and still ahead of every Miami player) at 19. Amber Stivrins again chipped, using the most of her playing time, adding 12 kills. Aiko Jones also added 5 blocks and two aces, beaten in the former category only by the six laid down by Anna Stevenson, who continued to be a rock in the middle. Tori Dilfer was unable to put down any of her attack attempts, finishing with a negative hitting percentage by erring on one of the seven attempts, but she did add 57 of the team's 63 assists while grabbing an ace, three blocks, and nine digs. Shannon Shields did not play, and perhaps Jeff has more information about that. Alexis Hamilton, as always, held down the back row with 17 digs.

The win was much needed by the Cards, who used it to stop a 3-game skid. With the victory, Louisville also guarantees it won't finish the major road trip winless. Louisville has one more game on this trip when they head just up the state from Miami to take on the Seminoles of Florida State in Tallahassee tomorrow at 1PM. After the FSU match, Louisville will get three more matches at home, all rematches, before the last match of the regular season in Pittsburgh. That match against the Panthers may not be for the conference title as many expected, with Louisville now sitting at 9-4 in conference, but it will still be a major matchup in Louisville's NCAA tournament picture. Until then, the Cards have four more matches to work to get back on track as the regular season draws to a close.

Louisville Thumps Murray State in Basketball

After playing strong defense and leading by 25 points at the half, Louisville used a 20 point run in the third quarter to completely squash any thoughts the Racers had about a potential comeback. The Cards went on to win 76-40 in their second game of the season, with no player scoring more than 14 points. Louisville will get a bigger break after this matchup, playing next on November 14th against the Chippewas of Central Michigan in the KFC Yum! Center.

Louisville opened last night's game with what may be the worst possible outcome on offense... a pair of missed free throws. (I couldn't decide if missing free throws or a turnover was worse. Let me know what you think.) Just thirty seconds later, Elizabeth Dixon would again get the opportunity to open the scoring as she stepped to the line and sunk both. Remember that thing I said about turnovers, though? They were just waiting for the Cards to score. Louisville turned the ball over on three straight possessions, gave up two offensive rebounds and fouled on a shot. How Murray State was unable to score in that time is beyond me, but Louisville would finally score again nearly two minutes after their first points. Despite the fact that the Cards would go to the quarter break leading 16-4, they certainly couldn't be happy, having given up 11 turnovers in the first ten minutes of the game, including three by both Norika Konno and Jazmine Jones. Konno would go on to finish the game with only three turnovers. Jaz picked up two more.

In the second quarter, the Cardinal defense fell off just a tad, but it may have only been a product of a faster overall pace of play. Louisville scored 22 in the second quarter, turning more of their turnovers from the previous quarter into points instead. Going into the break up 38-13 would usually lead a coach to a generally positive halftime speech. Going into the break up 38-13 with 14 turnovers and 7-12 from the free throw line is not going to garner priase from Jeff Walz. One positive from the half was Dana Evans showing that she is ready for a major offensive role, scoring 10 points in the half with 7 coming in just over a minute as the clock wound down in the second quarter.

In the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter, the Cards and Racers traded baskets, with a Murray State three pointer cutting the lead to 21. Louisville decided that was quite enough of that. Over the next five minutes, the Cards methodically demolished the will of the Racers, allowing Murray State to score no points and extending their lead to 41. After a couple of more baskets, Louisville carried a 40 point lead into the fourth quarter. The final quarter saw a large contingent of non-starters grab court time as Murray State won the period 17-13. By that time, the damage had long been done, though, and the Cards coasted to 2-0 while the Racers dropped to 0-1 on the year.

Kylee Shook made the most of her time in the second half, putting up all 13 of her points in 12 second half minutes. Shook also grabbed a double-double, scoring 13, rebound 12, and adding in a block and a steal. Three other players--Evans, Jones, and Elizabeth Balogun--finished with double-digit points. No Cardinal player saw more than 22 minutes of court time. Norika Konno did her best to make up for her 3 first quarter turnovers by finishing the game with 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. She'll have to make more of her shots (just 2-7) for Louisville to get the most out of its offense, but it's good to see a freshman recover after a rough opening stanza. 

The CASE Report

Paulie alluded to The CASE Report earlier this week when he gave the FRED Report after Louisville's opening game. For a brief refresher, here's how the CASE Report works. CASE stands for Care, Assists, Steals, and Efficiency. All of the categories are stat based, with a pair of thresholds for each granting the possibility for letter improvement. We'll get through this one with some explanation.

C-Care: The Care section focuses on Louisville's turnovers. Generally, there will be a point awarded for Louisville turning the ball over 65% of the opponent's season average in turnovers forced (we expect Louisville's offense to be better than the opponent's defense) and another point awarded for turning the ball over less than the opponent. Since this is Murray State's first game, Louisville actually set their season average at 21 forced turnovers. I'm actually going to break from the standard of the scoring here, because even though Louisville forced 24 turnovers from the Racers, I cannot award a letter for 11 first quarter turnovers and 21 in the game. No letter.

A-Assists: This section awards a letter for assists based stats, namely assist percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. As always, a huge turnover number is going to put this stat in a hole, but the game of basketball is pretty intertwined so it's ok if my stats are too. Louisville finished with 16 assists on 29 made baskets, which is not bad and is over the 50% threshold. However, it yields an assist-to-turnover ratio of less than 1. We're going for 2. Lowercase 'a'.

S-Steals: The most straightforward of the CASE Report. Half a letter for getting more than 7.5 steals, another half for getting more steals than the opponent. The Cards grabbed 12 in this one, just edging the 11 put up by Murray State. Capital 'S'.

E-Efficiency: This is where the CASE and FRED reports overlap a tad. We're looking at shooting efficiencies in this one. Specifically, we're looking for better than 45% from the floor and better than 75% from the line. Louisville finished with 6-26 shooting from beyond the arc, driving their overall shooting percentage all the way down to 40.8%. They also struggled to recover from 5 missed free throws in the first quarter, finishing at just 66.7% from the line. No letter.

In the opening CASE Report of the year, Louisville finishes with just _-a-S-_. The flashy final score and 20-0 run in the third make this game seem like a nice win, but the stats show that Louisville did not have a great night. Everything that Louisville did poorly, Murray State just did worse. It's only the second game of the season, but the Cards definitely have some work to do to get to the dominance they're looking for this year.


They said it: 

LINK: POST GAME WALZ

LINK: POST GAME SHOOK AND JONES

LINK (AUDIO ONLY)  : MURRAY ST. HEAD WBB COACH RECHELLE TURNER POST GAME

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

I'm out once more, but the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour lives on. We are still exploring our options for the future of the show, so keep an eye out, but for the time being, the show still comes to you live from WCHQ FM. Today, join Paulie and Jeff as they are both back into their wheelhouses with volleyball and basketball fully in swing. They'll bring you those and more at 11AM on WCHQ. Catch the show at 100.9 FM, the WCHQ App, wchqfm.com, or on Facebook Live.

HERE'S THE LINK FROM TODAY'S SHOW:
LINK: THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR 11/9/19

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

WBB Eligibility News -- Weekend Scheduling and Schedule Change -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

E and Liz Are Eligible!

The news we've been waiting for over the last six months has finally been officially released.  When I say "it feels like forever and a day" I'm not entirely wrong.

Liz Dixon and Elizabeth Balogun have both been ruled eligible for the upcoming season.  The duo come from a messy situation at Georgia Tech and have three years of eligibility remaining.

Balogun is a 6'1'' guard and was named ACC Freshman of the Year last year.  She led the Yellow Jackets in scoring and post six 20-point games.  She is a three-point threat. Her clearance gives UofL a very strong option from "the deep". 

Dixon is a 6'5" forward and was named to the All-ACC Freshman team.  She led the team in rebounds with 192 and was third on the team in scoring.

"They are incredible young women, both on and off the court, and they already have a year of experience in the ACC, which is a huge plus.  Adding them really helps our depth," said Jeff Walz.

The duo will play a big role in helping fill the shoes of departed Asia Durr, Arica Carter, and Sam Fuehring.

I'll leave some space for Paulie to add his expertise on the great news.




(EDITOR COMMENTS) This addition of a very capable guard and strong inside presence makes the Walz fortress even stronger and gives the Cards incredible depth inside and out on the court. If this doesn't make the Cards the pre-season favorite to win the ACC, then there are a lot of either blind or jealous voters out there. 

E and Liz are huge additions and will help fill the gaps nicely that the graduation of "the terrific three" created. 

I'll watch with interest on how the coaching staff uses the ocean of talent now on the roster. Scoring, rebounding, depth and defense are now present over on the left side of the Floyd Street practice facility. The building should probably be re-named" Fort Knox - North", because Walz has a wealth of valuable riches inside the structure. 

Paulie
xxxxx

Women's Soccer Postpones

No soccer to report on as the game scheduled for last night did not happen.  An unfortunate incident involving several Louisville players came up as they found themselves ill.  Luckily, nothing seems to be severe but it was enough to rule the team unable to play.

They rescheduled for this morning at 10:00 a.m.  Let's hope everyone is good to go for the match.

Syracuse is 2-4-1 on the year and the Cards are expected to walk away with three points in the end.

Louisville leads the series all-time 5-0-1.  Last year, Brooklynn Rivers scored with nine seconds remaining in regulation to get the win, 1-0.

A sequence of the game winner from last year.....

Weekend Scheduling

Friday

As previously mentioned, women's soccer will play this morning at 10:00.  It will be aired on ACC Network Extra.

Women's Tennis heads north to Bloomington to compete in the Indiana Invitational Hoosier Classic.  The teams participating include Louisville, Indiana, Western Michigan, Xavier, Wright State, Cincinnati, Marquette, Miami (OH), Bowling Green, and Middle Tennessee.  Singles begins at 10:00 with doubles starting around 2:30.

Women's Golf heads out to Big 12 country to participate in the Schooner Fall Classic.  They'll go up against #2 Texas, #13 Florida State, #19 Illinois, #25 Alabama, Oklahoma, Baylor, Clemson, Houston, Miami, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, TCU, Texas A&M, and Texas State.  A neat thing about this event is that it is one of the only collegiate women's golf tournaments to be televised on national tv- Fox Sports Southwest and Fox College Sports Central.

Field Hockey will go up against Boston College at 4:00 p.m., in Chestnut Hill.  The #6 Cards look to bounce back after falling to top-ranked UNC last week.

Volleyball is home in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena to kick off conference play.  They'll take on NC State at 7:00.  Catch myself and Worldwide at the match.  No Ms. Wuf in attendance to accompany her 5-7 squad.

Men's Soccer also plays NC State but they kick off at 7:30 at Lynn Stadium.

Not listed on the master schedule but worth mentioning is Louisville Live- a basketball hype event hosted at Fourth Street Live!, that features both the men's and women's basketball teams.  It's similar to the Big Blue Madness hosted by Matthew Mitchell and John Calipari.  I like ours better.  Sorry, Guv.

Saturday

Women's Tennis moves onto Day Two of the Indiana Invitational Hoosier Classic and it will go all day.

Women's Golf will continue play in the Schooner Fall Classic.

Softball travels to Lexington for a double header against Kentucky in some fall ball action.  They start at noon.

Sunday

Women's Tennis will wrap up play in Bloomington, IN.

Women's Golf wraps up play in Norman, OK.

Women's Soccer has an early kickoff in Boston College, kicking off at noon- a quick turnaround from Friday morning's match.

Field Hockey steps out of conference play for a match at Providence.  Sitting at 4-3, Providence has been having a down year.

Volleyball hosts North Carolina at 1:00.  The Tar Heels are currently 3-7 on the year.

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

Jared

Looking to the future...Cards WBB offers an incoming freshman (in high school) -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

KAMOREA ARNOLD GETS UOFL WBB OFFER

As we have come to know, recruiting is a coach and a program's plasma. Without quality recruits who turn into quality college student-athletes, a program plunders. A coach who can't get those recruits on campus (and keep them) eventually finds themselves job searching. 

Say "Hello" to Kamorea Arnold. Going by "KK", she's getting ready to enter her freshman year in high school. Listed at 5'6"...but looking to be maybe an inch or two taller than that...this class of 2023 recruit has already received two college offers. One from Marquette and one from Louisville.  A recent tweet from her: 

Kamorea (KK) Arnold

@Kamorea_2023

·

16h

Blessed to say I received an offer from

@uoflwbb

! Thank you

@coachjeffwalz

,

@coachsampurcell

and staff

. #NiyaStrong

Out of Germantown, WI...Arnold has obviously done enough in her early basketball career to catch the eye of major programs. Offering freshman is nothing new to the UofL staff, Nyah Green, who will be a freshman on this year's Cardinal squad received an offer as a high school freshman from Walz and company.

Four years is a long time.

I went back and checked what we were covering four years ago at Cardinal Couple. Jeff McAdams and I were doing the bulk of the articles at Cardinal Couple. Jared was sending us photos, but not writing yet. We were wondering what kind of careers Asia Durr, Sam Fuehring, Arica Carter, Taja Cole, Brianna Jones, Syd Brackemyre and Erin De Grate would have as Cardinals. Shoni and Angel were on the Dream.

Three out of seven ain't bad. If you're taking threes or standing at home plate.

Arnold will most likely receive a bunch more offers before she dons that cap and gown and walks up the steps to receive her high school diploma. She'll go through the ups-and-downs that every high school student experiences. Will her stock rise or drop?

Her race has just begun, plenty of track yet to negotiate and, as we've seen in years past -- just because a student-athlete receives an offer, it has relatively little weight in deciding where they will decide to go. Walz floats out offers in bulk, and wisely so, because of the highly competitive nature of recruiting and the odds related to getting an offered player on campus.

Fans have their "wish lists" each year on who they want to see as incoming freshmen. UofL fell short on Mercedes Russell, Rebecca Greenwell and many others. And, it's not always the most-highly sought-after recruit that does the best in college. Louisville stayed with and took a chance on Angel McCoughtry, remember?

What will UofL women's basketball have put in the ledger when we get to 2023? Will there be a National Championship trophy on the WBB side of the Planet Fitness Kueber Center? How many Cardinal WBB players will be in the WNBA? How many more Walz-coached players will be assistant or head coaches in college basketball?

Time will tell.

Louisville WBB has one of the most passionate, knowledgeable, supportive and attending fan bases in college Women's basketball. Don't ever under-estimate that when it comes to prospective players considering playing here.

STATUS PLEASE

A recent inquiry on the status of transfers from Georgia Tech Liz Dixon and Elizabeth Balogun from a reader.

Sorry, but no news yet. Many figured that a decision might come down in July. With two days left in July, it is possible that a decision still might occur...but I'm not wagering on that proposition.

Both are participating in daily shoot-around informal gatherings in the "Kueber" and it appears that they are meshing well with the rest of the squad.

As we have learned over the years, the NCAA goes at their own speed limit and is oblivious to the rest of the road.

Like most all Cardinal WBB fans, I'd love to see both on the court in the 2019-20 season. I'm also preparing myself for the other side of the situation, where they have to sit a season.

Know this. You're going to get three wonderful years of basketball out of both whatever the decision happens to be. Maybe the late Tom Petty nailed it on the head when we wrote and performed the song " The Waiting Is The Hardest Part".

We're "keeping our eye" on the situation, as I'm sure many of you are...based on the e-mails, messages, comments and conversations I've had from and with you.

Once again, time will tell.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

paulie

xxxxx