Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Dream, Lynx roll to wins

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-  DREAM, LYNX CONTINUE THEIR WINNING WAYS

 When the Atlanta Dream are rolling like this, they don't need Angel McCoughtry to score big. If New York doesn't get a lot of points from its stars, the Liberty are in trouble.


McCoughtry scored 18 points in limited playing time, leading five Atlanta scorers in double digits as the Dream beat the Liberty 85-64 for their franchise record-tying sixth straight victory.
Tiffany Hayes finished with 16 points for Atlanta (9-3), which also won six straight in 2010 and last season. Rookie reserve guard Shoni Shimmel scored 14, Erika de Souza had 11 and Aneika Henry 10.


''It was a very well-played game for our team for the simple fact we stuck with our plan,'' Dream coach Michael Cooper said. ''We knew we had to affect Cappie (Pondexter) or Tina Charles. I felt we did a good on both of them.


Charles and Pondexter scored just six points each - well below their averages of 17.3 and 15.9, respectively, coming in - as New York was handed its most lopsided loss of the season.


Alex Montgomery had 11 points and veteran reserve forward DeLisha Milton-Jones scored 10 to lead the Liberty (3-10), who lost their fifth straight.


Dream forward Sancho Lyttle, who just missed hitting double digits with nine points, said Atlanta's
defense was the difference, especially inside on Charles.


Charles shot just 3 for 12, and Atlanta outscored New York 42-30 in the paint even though each team took about the same number of shots inside (New York 34, Atlanta 35).


''We're trying to make their top players not be their top players, and tonight it worked,'' Lyttle said after adding five rebounds and four steals. ''Cappie only had a few points, and the same with Tina.''
The Dream trailed 8-7 early before running past the Liberty on the way to a 21-5 edge in fast-break points. Atlanta led 70-53 entering the fourth quarter, and most starters were on the bench for the final seven or eight minutes.

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Playing with an injury that hurt with every step she took, Seimone Augustus scored 19 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Washington Mystics 75-65 Friday night.


''I gotta do what I gotta do,'' she said. ''Fifty percent of me is better than none of me on the court just to be able to be out there and help my team. It's tough, but I'm just excited to be out there.''


Augustus returned after missing Wednesday's loss in Phoenix due to left knee bursitis.


''It's not really the knee, it's below the knee,'' said Augustus, who estimated the pain level at an eight or nine. ''It's pretty painful.''


Maya Moore had 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help the defending champion Lynx (10-4) win for the second time in five games. Lindsay Whalen scored 12 points.


Kia Vaughn had 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for Washington (5-8), which lost its third straight and sixth in seven. Kara Lawson added 14 points.


Showing no signs of caution, Augustus made a 3-pointer, then scored on a spin move for a bucket in the opening minutes.


''She's a leader,'' Moore said. ''She just sets the way and leads the way of how you carry yourself
when you play through pain. It fires me up and everybody else up.''
Eight points by Moore - including two 3-pointers - and six points by Augustus keyed a 26-7 run bridging the first and second quarters to give the Lynx a 35-18 lead.


Kara Lawson made two 3s and Bria Hartley scored four points as Washington countered with a 16-4 run to get within five points before Minnesota scored the final four points of the quarter for a 43-34 halftime lead.


Moore scored on a turnaround, Augustus hit a jumper and Moore made a driving layup to put the Lynx up 55-42 in the third quarter. A 3 by Moore and a jumper from Augustus put Minnesota up 65-51 early in the fourth.


''I'll take Seimone on a bad day any day of the week, twice on Sunday,'' Minnesota center Janel McCarville said.

Louisville's Asia Taylor played for about a minute in the win but had no points or rebounds.

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We're doing radio today. Yes, it's Saturday already!  I have no idea what we'll talk about...so it should be a very interesting show, indeed. The show begins at 11 a.m. EDT.  Link below:

www.crescenthillradio.com

Bingham takes Fern Creek job...Atlanta Dream gets jobbed by Minnesota Lynx

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE COMIN' AT YA !!!

-Bingham to lead Tigers in girls' basketball

-Despite Angel's record breaking effort...Dream loses 101-95

-Any given Sunday

Former Lady Card great Candyce Bingham has been named the girls' basketball coach
at Fern Creek High School. She was instrumental, along with Angel McCoughtry, in leading
the 2009 Lady Cards to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament final game. Up to a
couple of weeks ago, Bingham was having a spectacular season for the San German team
in Puerto Rican basketball...third in the league in scoring and rebounding.

Candyce graduated from DuPont Manual High School in 2004 and started her college
hoops at Xavier University. After two years, though, and limited playing time...she transferred to the University of Louisville and teamed up with Angel McCoughtry to
become the best duo in the history of UofL women's basketball. Bingham averaged


C.B. in Puerto Rico

 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds on the 2008-09 Cardinal team that faced Connecticut in the NCAA Championship in St.Louis.

Bingham was drafted in the third round of the 2009 WNBA Draft by San Antonio but was the final cut by the Silver Stars. She has played for various teams overseas since then...in addition to working with UofL's Fastbreak Club and the UofL Marketing department.

She replaces Michelle Fries, who posted a 94-76 record in six seasons at Fern Creek.


Bingham's knowledge of the game and her special ability to relate to and teach younger basketball players will serve her well in her new position. Doesn't hurt to have her mentor and UofL head coach Jeff Walz twenty minutes away, either.

Jeff Walz weighs in on the announcement:

"I am very excited for Candyce and Fern Creek High School. They are not only getting a very good basketball coach, they are getting an even better person. This is an outstanding opportunity for her. I have no doubt you will see Fern Creek at the top of their district and region soon."

Good luck, Candyce. Make the Tigers roar.

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Different night, same result for the Atlanta Dream in their quest to capture the WNBA title. Great first half, big night from Angel McCoughtry and then...boom! Here come the Lynx... In the 4th quarter, the Minnesota Lynx went on a 20-10 run to end the game... overcoming a 85-81 deficit with five minutes remaining to bury Atlanta and take a 101-95 win to go up 2-0 in the best out of five series.

Angel and Seimone Augustus battle it out.

Once again, McCoughtry was brilliant in defeat. Her 38 points set a new record for points in a WNBA finals game - a record Angel had set last year. She had 24 points at halftime but was visibly upset at the foul disparity. The Dream was whistled for 33 infractions, compared to 23 for the Lynx.

"Let us battle it out. Let us scratch and claw to the end. It's entertainment. That's what people want to see." McCoughtry pleaded after the contest.

"I just don't really understand a lot of the things being called." Atlanta head coach Marynell Meadows added.

Hitting their free throws would have helped Atlanta. They went 21 for 32 at the line. Seimone Augustus turned in a big effort for the Lynx...with 36 points on 11 of 14 shooting from the floor and 13 for 16 from the line. Despite the commanding series lead, Augustus wasn't taking anything for granted:

"The legacy isn't complete until you're holding the trophy." she insisted.

Augustus shouldered the load for Minnesota late, with center Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the bench with a sprained knee and Maya Moore saddled with foul trouble for most the game. Jessica Adair came off the bench to help spark the Lynx with 13 points.

The teams head to Atlanta for game three...which will tip Friday night and be shown on ESPN 2.
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Congratulations to the UofL men's soccer team...a 3-2 winner in overtime against Indiana University. Kenney Walker had two goals for the Cards, including the winner.

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Cards still lead the tally over UK when it comes to current players in the NFL. 19 to 12...advantage Cardinals. 16 teams represented...not bad.

UOFL



Brock Bolen still bowling over people.



Brock Bolen           Jacksonville

Michael Bush          Oakland

Deion Branch         New England

Harry Douglas         Atlanta

David Akers           San Francisco
Breno Giacomini    Seattle
Chris Redman        Atlanta
Hunter Cantwell     Baltimore
Elvis Dumervil       Denver
Amobi Okoye        Chicago
Brandon Johnson    Cincinnati


Michael Bush running through the Wildcats



William Gay          Pittsburgh

Chris Johnson        Oakland

Kerry Rhodes        Arizona

Jason Spitz           Jacksonville

Eric Wood            Buffalo

Bilal Powell           New York Jets

Cameron Graham   Tennessee

Gary Barnidge        Carolina

..

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