Cards WBB sets down Ga Tech 69-50 -- Friday Cardinal Couple

 CARDS PUT FOUR IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN 69-50 WIN OVER GA TECH

Taj Roberts didnt look llke a player who had a Grade 2 ankle sprain four days ago and the Cards once again used balanced scorng to down another ACC opponent....with the 19 point win in the McCavish Center against Ga. Tech. 

Elif Istanbulluoglu led UofL with 18 points and the Cards benefitted from 22 GT turnovers to go to 25-5 on the season 

Louisville trailed early in the first quarter before going on a 10-0 run over the final four minutes of the period to take a 18-13 lead at the end of the first session. 

The Cards repeated the 18-point total in the second quarter and held Georgia Tech to 11 points in that stretch of ten minutes to go into the halftime with a 36-24 lead. 

The Cards came out adter the half and took the third quarter as well, It was the highest scoring quarter of the contest and Louisvile held the 22-18 quarter edge and a 58-42 lead. 

The Cards continued the defensive stops in the final quarter, holding Ga Tech to just eight points. The Cards won, going away...69-50. A six-point flurry in about ten seconds during the quarter was must-see TV. 

UofL's double figure scorers were Elif with 18, Berry with 13, Roberts with 12 and Scott with 10. 

The Cards return home for the regular season finale...hosting Notre Dame on Sunday.

ACC WBB Tournament play starts on Wednesday. Shaking my head...is it really tournament time?  

paulie

Cards open WBB season vs UCLA in Paris -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 2024-25 WBB SEASON STARTS TODAY FOR WBB

Believe it or not, the start of women's college basketball season is upon us. The Louisville Cardinals squad will start it up in Paris,France..of all places...against a UCLA Bruins squad  that has been selected either #5 or #6 in preseason polls, depending on which source you want to believe. Louisville checks in at #17, in jeff Walz's 18th season as the Cards head skipper. 

Alice Cooper, who we seriously doubt will be there af or the contest

I guess the old Alice Cooper classic. "I'm Eighteen" won't be played in the pre-game warm ups by the pep bands for Jeff Walz. Let's just hope they don't decide to break into another Cooper classic "Welcome to My Nightmare..." And, I wonder if any of the four schools sent a pep band over for the event?  

Game time is 2:30 pm and ESPN2 will have the broadcast. We have no firm grip or insight on who Coach Walz will trot out to start this opener...but I'll venture a guess and say Olivia Cochran, Nyla Harris, Merissah Russell, Elif Istanbulluoglu and Jayda Curry.

Lauren Bettts

UCLA looks to be a powerhouse on paper.  They return 6'7" center Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Charisma Osbourne and Angela Dugalic. Transfer Janiah Barker will add depth to the Bruins and head coach Cori Close enters after their 27-win season last year.  

One of the big questions for this opener is how heavy a role will the eight freshman and transfer Ja'Leah Willams play for the Cards. A lot of it could depend on how close this contest is and how the refs call the contest. Or maybe Walz wants to see how different combinations look against a challenging, top #5 foe. No one knows for sure how he'll approach this one, except him and maybe his associate and assistant coaches. And, they may not even know..

Ja'Leah Williams

The contest will be the first ever between UCLA and UofL WBB. The contest is the opener in the Aflac Qui Play event, USC and Ole Miss will do battle after the Cards and Bruins. 

We'll recap the contest in the Tuesday Cardinal Couple. 

paulie