WBB pushes past NKU 89-61 -- VB 3-1 over WF -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Good Monday morning,


It's a cold one in Louisville to start the week which means basketball season is back to help us get through it. 

The WBB squad opened up at home on Sunday afternoon.  I had some recent car troubles so I couldn't make it down to the Yum against the Norse. But Jared was able to get some great snaps from the action.

Basketball

NKU 61 - Louisville 89

Photo: Jared Anderson

After a relatively close first three quarters, Louisville outscored NKU 33-13 in the fourth to secure a 89-61 win over the neighboring KY foe. UofL moves to 1-1 on the season with Colorado coming to town on Wednesday night.

Tajianna Roberts led all scorers with 23 points, which tied a career high. She was 10-16 from the floor, 3-4 from 3 point range and scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half.  

Reyna Scott scored in double figures for the first time with 13 points on 6-8 shooting. 

Laura Ziegler led the team with double-digit rebounds for the second-straight game with 11 boards and she added a team-best five assists to go with 9 points. 

Elif Istanbulluoglu added 9 points and 7 rebounds.



Recap

Photo: Jared Anderson

End of 1Q 20-17  Cards

FG %
8-17 47.1% Cards
7-13 53.8% NKU
Reb. 9-7 Cards
3-pt %
3-8 37.5% Cards
3-4 75% NKU

Reyna Scott went 3-3 for 7 points in just 4 minutes on the floor in the quarter.  Ziegler and Makenley Randolph both pulled down 3 rebounds 


End of 2Q 15-15


FG %
5-12 41.7% Cards
6-13 46.2% NKU
Reb. 8-7 Cards
3-pt %
0-3 0% Cards
2-5 40% NKU

UofL went 5-6 at the free throw line with Randolph leading the efforts with 3-4.  NKU shot 50% in the first half while the Cards only 45%. The Cards had 11 turnovers where the Norse had 9 points as a result.



HALF 35-32

Photo: Jared Anderson

End of 3Q 21-16 Cards

FG %
10-18 55.6% Cards
6-18 33.3% NKU
Reb. NKU 12- 9
3-pt %
1-3 33.3% Cards
2-11 18.2% NKU

Roberts went off 5-6 from the field to score 11 of her point total and put the Cards in a position to pull away. 


End of 4Q 33-13 Cards

FG %
13-18 72.2% Cards
5-18 27.8% NKU
Reb. 12-7 Cards
3-pt %
4-5 80% Cards
3-10 30% NKU


The Cardinals had 18 points in the paint and 16 off the bench in the final quarter.  The Norse seemed to run out of gas as they shot just 28% from the field down the stretch. 

UP NEXT

Louisville vs Colorado

11/12/25

7pm ACCNX

FRED REPORT

FREE THROWS --  Louisville went 9-13 at the line which just barely missed the 70% minimum requirement for a letter in the category for the first time this season..   However I really dont feel like it was a bad night at the line when two players only missed one and another went 1-3.. so im giving it a lower case f

REBOUNDING --  The Cards out rebounded the visitors 38-33 with Laura Ziegler leading for Louisville two games in a row.. she had 11 and almost a double double.  Capital R

EFFORT/EXECUTION --  It was cold morning in the Ville and UofL saved the warm up for the second half but were extremely efficient by the end of the match.  I give this one a Capital E 

DEFENSE --  UofL's defense forced 18 turnovers and had 25 points off of them.  Their ability to turn it up in the second half to detain NKU's efforts merits a Capital D



FINAL FRED TALLY: f-R-E-D


Volleyball

Photo: Jared Anderson

It took 4 sets (25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 25-17) to put the Demon Deacons away on Sunday afternoon as Louisville moves to 20-4 overall, 12-2 in the ACC.


Kalyssa Blackshear had 18 kills to lead all scorers and 6 blocks to boot. She had a .412 hitting percentage while the Cards hit .302 as a team.  UofL more than doubled the blocks of WF with 16-7 including 6 aces while committing almost half as many errors.


Chloe Chicoine joined Blackshear in double digit kills with 15, adding 10 digs and three blocks. Cara Cresse had 10 kills and five blocks. The defense was led by Kamden Schrand's 13 digs and two aces along with Hannah Sherman's 10 blocks.

UofL returns to the Ville for a pair of matches at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. The Cardinals will face Florida State on Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.





As always
Go Cards!
~Daryl

WBB, Volleyball on Sunday Menu -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 WALZBALL HOSTS NKU, VOLLEYCARDS TRAVEL TO WAKE FOREST. 

If the NFL isn't quite your bag...you hava a couple of nice options today on the Louisville women's sports side...Laura Ziegler and crew wait for one of the "KU's" to arrive (NKU) and the Meske Maraders go to the town named after two cigarettes (or was it vice versa) to play net games with the tall guy in the hat who calls himself a deacon. and a demon one...at that. 

WBB  

A 2 p.m. tip for the Cardinal hoops gang against Jeff Walz old alma mater when Northern Kentucky travels down 1-71 to face the #20 ranked Cards. NKU (0-1)  visited Marshall to begin their season and fell to the Thundering Herd 68-53. I know, Thundering Herd doesn't really seem like an appropriate name for women's basketball players but they don't have any other nicknames they go by. 

Cards fans might remember Lindsey Duvall graduated from Bullitt East to join Louisville, left Louisville to go to NKU. Well,  she graduated and is now the Director of Basketball Operations for the Norse.  If you go far enough back in the annuals of Cardinal Couple articles...you'll find an interview I did with her and her Bullitt East head coach Chris Stallings. 

Her Norse leaders after one game are guards Taysha Ruston (11.0) and Mia Jordon (10.0) a game after one game.

NKU participates ni the Horizon League and were picked to finish sixth in it in a preseason coaches poll. The Norse head coach is Jeff Hans and he is starting his second season at NKU.

Laura Ziegler

The Cards are led by St. Joseph transfer Laura Ziegler with 16 points a game. Other Cards in double figures are transfer Skylar Jones and Imari Berry. 

If you can't make it down to the KFC YUM! Center for this one, it is available on the ACCNX and Nick Curran will have the play-by-play on 93.9 FM and 970 AM. Curran returns as the Cards WBB radio play-by-play guy and Sara White handles Internet analysis duties.

Enjoy the game, we'll recap what we saw here at Cardinal Couple tomorrow.

VOLLEYBALL

Cards Volleyball gets the first start of the day for women's squads at Louisville with a 1 p.m. contest at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. .

The VolleyCards are ranked #7 in the latest NCAA DI poll and 19-4 on the season continue ACC play against the Demon Deacons. Wake is 5-8 in conference and 11-13 overall .

This one can be found on ACCNX as well 

The Cards are on a five-game win streak since the Oct 19 five set loss to Pitt and 11-2 in the ACC...good for third place in the conference standings. 

We'll also recap this one in the Monday Cardinal Couple.

paulie

 .

Making the most of a second chance -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 FORMER CARD LINDSEY DUVALL HAVING SUCCESS AT NKU

With Louisville WBB on a COVID pause, not much to report on the Cardinal crew these days -- so I thought I might do a "feel good" story this Monday. After all, it is the holiday season, we report on 'the joy and excitement' of things and the age-old philosophy of "once a Card, always a Card" carries credible veracity in a lot of circles. 

Consider the story of Lindsey Duvall. 

You remember "Lil Duv", right? She was a Miss Kentucky in GBB back in 2017. Decided on Louisville after originally thinking "maybe UK" announcing her desire to be a Cat but then changing her mind and committing to Louisville. A 5'8" shooting guard, ostensibly -- for Chris Stallings at Bullitt East High School, but mostly played as a "4" for the Mt. Washington school.  A definitive three point threat and team player. Knee injuries, yes, they were a part of it as well. Six operations before she stepped on the court as a Cardinal. Having to sit out her freshman year because of knee trouble in 2017-18. 

I always wondered how'd she perform on the DI level, given 25-30 minutes a game  She never got that chance at Louisville, part of a very deep and talented roster that went 60-8 in the two years she did see action for the Cards, mostly in a reserve role.  Duvall was good, no doubt about it, but others were better and the scenario eventually came to the question of deciding whether to be a reserve or a starter somewhere. College time is limited. Players want to be productive -- to play. 

She chose to seek playing time elsewhere. She turned to NKU and Carmyn Whitaker, a coach she'd known since the seventh grade. In some circles, it's thought that when Whitaker left UK as an assistant coach to take the NKU head coaching job, that was the deciding factor for Duvall to switch commitments from UK to UofL.  When Duvall went looking for a new school, Whitaker made no promises other that she'd be given a chance to earn playing time and try competition on a slightly less difficult and competitive level that the ACC. The Horizon League. A mid-major in the scheme of DI ball, but, a Kentucky university that has a loyal fan base, is less that two hours from her home and had six or seven players she was familiar with from those high school days. 

She worked hard during the COVID summer, learned the system and she and her teammates began the season against an Ohio-based slate of schools in Cincinnati, Akron, Bowling Green and Ohio St. All on the road except for Bowling Green. All losses for NKU, but, Duvall a bright spot for the Norse in a reserve role -- with 11.25 points-per-game and nine rebounds in about 26 minutes a game. Nearly a double-double -- coming off the bench. 

Whitaker consulted with another "newbie" -- assistant coach Anthony Epps. Yes, that Epps -- the UK star. He had coached against Duvall when he was at Campbellsville High School. He knew the talent within. They gave Duvall the start in the opener of Horizon League play -- against Pittsburgh-based Robert Morris, and Duvall responded with 21 points, four threes, 13 rebound in 27 minutes in a lopsided win for the Norse. If there were sightings and reportings of a new star in the sky over Highland Heights, KY -- it was probably Duvall's ascension into stardom. 

The Horizon League is doing things a bit differently in 2020. (Aren't we all?)  So far, they are pitting opponents against each other back-to-back on consecutive days. So, the next day, another NKU win and a 12-point effort from Duvall. 

Saturday and Sunday found NKU at Purdue-Ft. Wayne, home of  one of Cardinal Couple's favorite mascots -- Don the Mastodon. Lindsey found Fort Wayne to her liking, in the two NKU wins over "Don's Gang" -- she put up 38 points in her 56 minutes of  time and shot 50% (6-12) from three-point range. 

We are proud of her at Cardinal Couple. She remains one of my favorite interviews of a high school Cardinal prospect. Shoot,, I've even walked around Lindsey Duvall Park in Mt. Washington to get a little exercise. 

For Lindsey, the second chance is paying big dividends. Sometimes...those second chances do. If Lil Duv is happy and productive in her new surroundings, then I'm happy for her.  I can remember her high school coach, Chris Stallings, telling me that he'd never had a harder-working player in his coaching career. He said something to the effect of "you might beat her, but you'll never out-work her." That persistence of hard work is finally paying off for Lindsey. and NKU. And, it's a beautiful thing to see.

If anyone deserved a break, a second chance -- it's certainly been Lindsey,.. after all she's been through. 

May the good days continue. 

paulie

Strong Second Half sends WBB past Norse 85-57 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

31-9 THIRD QTR. CLOSES DOOR ON NKU 85-57

As Jeff Walz  put it Sunday, it's all on the backs of his players now...this season. Either they want to play hard and win or they don't. And, if they don't, they won't play. 

Louisville showed up to play eventually in the third quarter against Northern Kentucky University Sunday in Highland Heights, KY at the B.B.&T Arena, going on a 12-0 run to begin the second half and continued to augment on a 37-35 halftime lead. After three it was 68-44 Cards and they went on to build the lead to 35 midway through the fourth before the game ended.

The game started out with a bit of an interesting twist. The starting Cardinal five consisted of Bionca Dunham, Dana Evans, Liz Dixon, Yacine Diop and Jess Laemmle. The first two in the sequence are starters we've grown accustom to. Liz did see some early season starts. Jess was a bit of a surprise. Speculation filtered through the media (basically me, Sonya and TCZ's Tom Farmer), plus on Twitter about this. Was it a disciplinary move? Turns out Walz picked out the five players he thought worked the hardest in the practices following the Oregon loss and put them out there. 

It was a slow beginning for the Cardinal starting five. NKU jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Eventually Louisville rallied, a few players entered from the bench and the Cards went on a 9-0 run at the end of the first to hold a 22-16 lead. 

NKU wasn't done battling, though. 


The Norse fought back to tale a 25-24 lead after three minutes of the second session on a  Carissa Garcia three. They led 30-26 halfway through thee second period after Ally Niece knocked in a jumper in the paint. Louisville picked up the defense , though, and reclaimed a 35-32 lead with 1:26 until halftime on a "E" three. The half ended with the Cards clinging to a 37-35 edge. 

The Cards had 12 from the resurgent Jaz Jones. Nine turnovers were costly but Louisville was holding a 12-0 fast-break for points edge. Molly Glick and Garcia combined for 20 for the Norse and NKU had made six threes. 

According to Jaz (who went 9 for 10 on the afternoon and scored 21 points), the halftime discussion centered around defense and getting the transition game going. Coach Walz gave a slightly different answer. Coach impressed upon the squad that the focus on things should be about what they want instead of what he wants. Walz reminded everyone he had six years left on his contract. If they wanted to have a disappointing season, he reminded them his goals were still to reach a Final Four and National Championship but he couldn't do it, they had to do it. That dialogue eventually morphed into a dialogue about the new players and the past. 

Coach got  ball from NKU celebrating his
return. before the game. He didn't shoot it. 

Whatever actually transpired in the locker room seemed to have an immediate effect on the Cards. Louisville roared out to a 10-0 start and never looked back. The defense was creating stops and the transition game was rolling. A steal and layup by "E" sent the Cards up 57-37, capping a 20-2 run to start the second half. After three, Louisville led 68-44 and Norse effort had turned into a worse effort. 

The Cards were never seriously challenged in the fourth, Walz played all 11 eligible and Molly Lockhart got in seven good minutes and responded with three points. Final: 85-57

Paulie and Barry Johnson, who was my fraternity
"little brother" 30+ years ago at UofL 

Jaz's 21 led the way, Dana had three threes as part of her 16 points and "E" added 12, with a couple of trifectas included. Everyone who played scored. Norika Konno sat out, she tweaked a knee after Oregon and could have gone but Walz wanted to rest her. 

Points off turnovers went 31-17 Louisville's way. The Cards did have 17 miscues but NKU topped that with 21. UofL won the points-in-paint battle 44-20, swept the fast break for points stat 23-0 and second chance points 14-5.

A tale of two halves, it was. 8 for 20 from the deep, with five players hitting threes, is nice and Jess even nailed one when she was on the court as a starter. Louisville eventually put away a Horizon League team picked to finish sixth in their conference but winners of their previous four by eventually adhering to two major important factors: 

Playing defense and creating off that defensive effort. Defense leads to potential points. 

I loved that second half version of the UofL WBB team. I hope Walz left the first half version in Highland Heights by the Skyline Chili parlor. 


THE FRED REPORT

FREE THROWS -- 11 for 14 is 78.6% and that passes our standard of 70%. Equally distributed among the seven Cards who attempted them. Yacine Diop goes to the head of the class by hitting all three of hers. We can award a Capital "F" for Sunday's effort at the stripe. 

REBOUNDS -- Louisville all the way with a huge 42-20 edge. When you consider NKU went 8 for 28 (28.5%) in the final half, Louisville corralled a lot of those misses. Kylee Shook had seven grabs in 18 minutes and Bionca had six in 21 minutes, those rebounding numbers look even more impressive. And, each Cardinal that played gathered at least one. Yes, we award a Capital "R" for the UofL rebounding effort. 

EXECUTION/EFFICIENCY --  Once again, a tale of two halves. Only seven second half turnovers and the transition game was working with the whitewash in fast break points. But, we look at the whole contest and the first half wasn't pretty in terms of getting things done with the ball. 38.9% shooting in the second quarter hurt the 53.2% shooting for the entire game. We'll compromise and award a lower case "e" for this stat. 

DEFENSE --  The defensive effort really picked up in the final 20 minutes, especially in holding the Norse to that 28.5% shooting, compared to 50% in the first half. Nine steals (Diop and Kasa with three each) and 21 turnovers committed by the Norse. For fairness, we'll split the difference, Louisville played a half of great defensive and a so-so half of guarding. We'll assign a lower case "d" for Sunday's overall defense.  

FINAL FRED REPORT:  F-R-e-d


THEY SAID IT

Coach Walz and Dana shared the post-game interview. Their words are worth hearing and you can access these words at the link below. They didn't pass the microphone around to the media for this one so I hope the questions asked aren't too hard to hear. The guys from the AP and some local Northern KY writer must have been under the delusions that they were the only ones in the room, so you won't hear Paulie on here except once. We left before the NKU interviews, sorry bout that, y'all. 

JEFF WALZ AND JAZMINE JONES


SO...


Sonya and I hoped for a blowout win, and we got one. Eventually. Hoped to see the Louisville vs Oregon team instead of the Louisville vs Ohio State squad and we got that for a half. 

Give NKU a lot of credit for sticking around that first half. Glick, Garcia and former Mercer County star Emmy Souder took the fight to the Cards and should probably make the All-Horizon Conference All-Star teams. 

I'm not sure this was the type of contest leading up to UK I wanted to see, though. I hope that Walz finally impressed upon his players that going full strength and hard all the time you are on the court, in practice or in a game, is what will get you playing time. 

He's Norse, of course. 

It was good to see Jaz come out of the three game slumber she had been in and I hope that emergence stays around. Walz teased that she was prone to picking up fouls even in the pre-game warm up and gathering just two in 20 minutes is a start in the right direction. The Cards WBB squad, now 9-1, has to realize they are going to get everyone's best shot from here on out and must be ready to come out and take on the fight for 40 minutes. Regardless of who Walz starts or ends with. 

I hope they take his words to heart over the week between games. I hope they work on the "jelling" and remember that defense leads to the opportunity for offense. I hope they can play two halves in Lexington like they played the final half against the Norse. 

Time will tell. 


paulie
xxxxx