Louisville women's basketball -- FACES IN THE CROWD -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FACES IN THE CROWD

(Julie Sullivan has the write-up today and she has a great article on the BIG HEADS. Enjoy!) 

I love this Louisville women's basketball team, the coaches, the managers, the support staff and the game. I especially love being a part of this amazing fan base. Last season, the Cards were ranked #5 in the nation in attendance with almost 8300 per game for home games. 28 fans followed the team to Cuba for exhibition games. Hundreds made the trip to the ACC Tournament in small Conway, SC at Coastal Carolina Arena last March. Hundreds more were in Columbus for the game against Ohio State -- and Jeez-O-Pete !! -- they were rewarded with one of the best games in recent history. 

Other schools would kill to have a fan base like Louisville's. Coach Walz frequently reminds his players what a special place Louisville is and they see that when they walk onto Denny Crum Court. They also see that, especially, when they take an opposing school's court that is surrounded with just 100-200 fans. Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach and special assistant Beth Burns , who has served as a D-1 head coach for multiple big name schools echoes that: 

" I truly believe that Louisville basketball has the greatest home court advantage because of how close the fans are to the bench. Because those crazy Big Heads swirling, we can see them. We can feel them and what I appreciate is I know people pay. I know they have a right to boo if they want to...but what separates the Louisville fans from the rest is...when we need them, they come through for us...You're not just playing for yourself. The consistency of the fan base year in and year out is the separator.  You can always count on the people of Louisville." 

What are these Big Heads that Beth refers to? People with inflated egos? I'll explain...

During a break in the action at a WBB game, have you ever looked up at the scoreboard screen and seen a crowd shot or have you scanned the crowd and seen a group and wondered what their story was? What makes this fan-base so special? OK...maybe it's just me but Paulie suggested I do today's write-up about the idea I offered about the BIG HEADS and while he and the rest of the "A" team can write great synopsis and analysis, I haven't honed that skill just yet. So, I bring you today the quirky fanaticism of Louisville women's basketball. Let me introduce you to the Big Heads. 

At halftime, Al Greener's pep band breaks into the song "Sweet Caroline". The big board's cameras focuses in on Section 106. They show the fans known as the Big Heads, the Heads Up Group, with giant head shots of the Cardinal players bopping and bobbing to the beat. Flipping the giant heads as the camera angles jump from front to back to front again. It has become a game between the camera operators and the fans. 

How did it all begin? Like most great traditions...quite by accident. 


In October of 2010, at the Women's Tip-Off Luncheon and the Arena just days away from hosting the first UofL game (which was a women's game, by the way) the luncheon was held in the Spirit Room. Three friends, Kim Allen, Ginger Kilgore and Linda Miller just happened to be seated at a table with then freshman Sherrone Vails. At the end of the luncheon, everyone got to explore where their seats would be in the KFC YUM! Center. 

Standing on the floor, Allen Miller and Kilgore pointed up to Section 106, near the middle of the stands...to show Sherrone where they would be cheering for her. One of them suggested that they would bring a sign so they could see that they were there to support her during the games. Another joked that they would get a big "cardboard head" so she couldn't miss them. Sherrone's eyes grew wide with excitement. It was later as they were leaving that Allen recalled Sherrone's excitement and the three knew that what started out as an offhand comment must be fulfilled. They plotted and planned. A good photo, a trip to Kinko's, some trial and error and they ended up with a giant cutout of her and brought it to the game. Sherrone was ecstatic and the threesome knew they were on to something special. They decided to make one for each player on the roster. 

They pooled their money, got pictures and after many trips to the printer...they completed the first set. Their friends joined them, people they previously didn't know but sitting near them, joined in.  Soon the whole squad of faces were dancing in 106. Some of the Heads Up Group, in addition to the original three are Becky Gamm, Jane Feger, Peggy Kilgore, Melanie Cox, Sandy Hicks, Shannon Noonan, John and Valerie Thompson and Marty Fehey. Others often join in. While Kim Allen was the driving force in the beginning...Linda Miller has taken over much of the photo, printing and cutting duties....which she refers to as "a labor of love". Group members help defray costs by contributing money to print the incoming faces each season and if a head needs to be replaced, as is the case of Myisha Hines-Allen. DOOO-BLAY elaborates: 

"They took my picture my freshman year of me and I really didn't like the picture at all. It was way too much of a close-up. My lips looked really chapped. It was a bad day, bad picture...so I asked if they could create a new one and they said 'Yes!' and did".


Other replacements have occurred after cutouts have been damaged or lost. Linda now brings them and collects them after each contest. She wants to make sure each player is represented at each contest. Balancing the whirlwind basketball season and her job, she is still working on the current freshmen heads. Getting crisp enough pictures that can be enlarged to a 16" x 20" print that are flattering to the player is paramount and she hopes to re-shoot the freshmen on Friday. She also hopes to have them "in the crowd" at the home game on Dec. 5th. against the UT-Martin Skyhawks. 

AN ASIDE...

Since the "A" team likes to make bold predictions...I am going to go out on a limb and predict that come February, Louisville still has a big "Goose-Egg" in their loss column. Also, before the end of the season, three different Cardinals have received ACC Player of the Week honors. 

As a guest writer and big fan of CARDINAL COUPLE, I encourage each reader to pitch in a ducat or to for the NOVEMBER donation drive...so this excellent site and unique look into Louisville women's sports and Cardinal Athletics goes into 2018 strong and solvent. 

Cardinal Couple accepts Pay-Pal (see the top of the page) and checks can be mailed to: 

CARDINAL COUPLE
c/o Paul Sykes
P.O. BOX 91521
LOUISVILLE, KY 40291

-- Julie Sullivan -- 


LACROSSE ANNOUNCES HEAD COACH

Louisville Lacrosse now has their second coach in the program's history and Scott Teeter is the new skipper. He'll be formally introduced today at a 1:30 presser at the "Little YUM" practice facility and CARDINAL COUPLE will be there to cover it. 

Teeter has been the head coach at Canisius the past 16 years and has been the MAAC Coach of the Year four times. He took the Golden Griffins to the NCAA tournament in 2017 while compiling a 15-5 record. 

Vince Tyra has made a good move here. Teeter brings experience and stability to a squad that has seen its share of uncertainty and a depletion of ranks. 

Feb. 2nd. earmarks the start of the season when the LAXCards host Vermont. Two months and change to develop a plan, an identity and familiarity. 

Kay Morrisette, one of the best to ever play the game at Louisville, was an assistant on Teeter's staff at Canisius. Whether she'll return to the Ville to join the staff was unknown at the time of this article's publishing. I expect I'll find out in a few hours. 


paulie
xxxxx    


     

Sending the Seniors out in style...Louisville 77 - Boston College 60 -- Friday Cardinal Couple

Five hit for double figures in Cards win

Cards signing autographs after the game

The Louisville women's basketball team survived a three-point barrage from visiting Boston College and said goodbye to five seniors in the home finale for the Cards Thursday night. 10488 braved arctic-like weather in Louisville to see Bria Smith, Sherrone Vails, Shawnta' Dyer, Jude Schimmel and Sara Hammond...the Cards never in serious trouble against a trifecta-happy BC squad that attempted 26 and made 12.

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game

They shot threes with the same voracity that Paulie hits the media buffet...and six different Eagles cashed in from the deep. BC attempted 47 shots in the game and 12 of the 22 baskets made were outside the arc.

After a pre-game ceremony honoring the seniors and their families (Jude's contingent numbered 18...) Jeff Walz started all five final year players and they jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first two minutes after six straight Dyer points and a Smith putback of a Hammond shot. 


The Eagles countered with two straight threes by Nicole Boudreau to get within two...but it would be the closest they would get for the remainder of the game.


Walz kept the seniors on the court for the first six minutes before sending the freshmen Moore and Hines-Allen into the contest. Louisville had amassed a 14-6 lead at that point and would finish the 10-0 run with the duo connecting on a fast break layup by Hines-Allen and two Moore free throws.

It was 18-6 and you got the feeling that this one was already a "W".

Louisville led 31-15 with 7:34 showing on the clock after a spectacular Moore three and the talented freshman would run off five more straight points to give UofL a 36-23 edge with five minutes left in the half.

BC did not relent in the three-point efforts...taking 14 in the first twenty minutes and hitting seven. Kelly Hughes three with 86 seconds left in the half trimmed the Louisville advantage to 42-31 but Louisville added two Moore free throws and a Hines-Allen jumper with eight seconds to take the 46-31 lead to the locker room.

Photo by Charlie Springer - UofLCardGame.com

Moore (12 points) and Dyer (10 points) were already in double figures for the Cards and Louisville was outscoring the Eagles 30-8 in the paint. BC's halftime stats revealed numbers I don't ever remember seeing before...they were 11-22 from the floor (50%), 7-14 from three-point range (50%) and 2-4 from the free throw line (50%). Their eight rebound were four offensive (50%) and four defensive (50%).


The halftime activities featured an incredible group of a dozen or so Native American dancer groups that ranged from grade school aged performers to senior citizen dancers...all dressed in colorful and intricate tribal wear. They were accompanied by the steady drum beat and chant from the amazing Elk Soldier drum core...which featured almost a dozen drummers with one drumstick each -- beating a single drum in unison while chanting. 

Photo by Charlie Springer --UofLCardgame.com

The Cards started the second half with the same senior starting five. The Eagles were back with the long range bombing, though and hit the first two threes they attempted to trim the Cardinal advantage to 46-37 a minute and a half into action. BC hung around within range for the first five minutes...trading baskets with Louisville and trailed 55-44 after a Ashley Kelsick score inside. 

The Cards got busy after that and went on a 12-2 run to take a commanding 67-46 lead with 10:07 to play on a Hines-Allen putback of her own missed shot. That lead would stretch out to 77-51 with five minutes to play after a Vails jumper off a nice feed by Bria. 

Walz had all the seniors back on the court with 3:24 remaining and substituted for them...one by one...to a standing ovation from the crowd with 31 seconds to go. Sherrone Vails was the last to leave. The Eagles finished with a 9-0 run...including (you guessed it) a couple more threes for the 77-60 final score. 

Moore led the double figure producers with 18 points (including four threes) and Dyer finished with 13. Hines-Allen added 12, Jude (with three threes) and Bria totaled 11 points each. A quiet offensive night for Sara (1-8) and just three points in 26 minutes. Louisville forced 27 Eagles turnovers that produced 38 points and held a 22-5 second change advantage. The Cards also had 19 assists on 28 baskets. 

Louisville was looking to improve from the outing against Notre Dame and they did accomplish that quite well. Walz wanted the defense to make BC take layups instead of threes, which didn't turn out so well, but Louisville did shoot 42.4% for the game...a blistering 56.3% in the first twenty and a so-so 29.4% in the final half. 

All five seniors were featured in the post-game presser and they discussed their memories and feelings about their time at UofL. Bria fought back tears when she talked about the seniors 'sisterhood' , Sara spoke passionately about passing the torch to the underclassmen, Shawnta' recalled her trials with overcoming injuries, Sherrone spoke eloquently about her love for the fans and her teammates and Jude announced she is writing a book titled Dreamcatcher. 

I got a little misty-eyed seeing them all there together and realizing it would be the last time I've ever see them up on that stage. 

A fitting way for these five to end their KFC YUM! Center days. All played at least 19 minutes and all five scored. The task is not done for them yet...dangerous Virginia awaits them Sunday in Charlottesville and ACC Tournament play next Friday as a probable #3 seed. 

In a season that has produced a very unexpected 24-4 record and the emergence of two of the best freshmen in the country...the contributions of Jude, Sara, Shawnta', Sherrone and Bria will long be remembered by Cardinal fans. Five women that bonded to make up the largest senior class in Jeff Walz's coaching history and five individuals that will go on to achieve even greater things when they leave campus and go out into the world after college. No matter where they end up...you get the feeling this fivesome will always be a tight-knit bond. 

( A special thanks to Charlie Springer at UofLCardGame.com for sending photos of last night's game and the photos he has supplied us with all season long. Be sure to check out his Senior Night photo gallery at his fine website www.uoflcardgame.com)

paulie
xxxxx 

WBB hosts Boston College for Senior Night -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

CARDS HONOR FIVE SENIORS TONIGHT

Sometimes, I wonder where the time goes...

It seems way less than five years ago that Shawnta' Dyer and Sherrone Vails arrived on the UofL campus. Vails...a big name paint player coming in to join a 2010-11 squad that was coming off Jeff Walz's only losing season at UofL. Dyer ready to roll but suffering a season-ending injury before she ever got to play. A freak heel fracture in a controlled scrimmage. 

Shoni Schimmel, Nita Slaughter, Polly Harrington and Charmaine Tay were also a part of that freshman class. Names we'll either remember for a long time or bring up on rare occasions when discussing the history of UofL WBB.

Fast forward to 2011-12. Sara Hammond joined the ranks, Louisville winning the battle with UConn to gain her services. Jude Schimmel became the second off-spring of Cece and Rick to arrive on campus. Bria Smith reconsidered and said "no" to Virginia after a coaching change and "yes" to Coach Walz. Dyer was healthy and Vails was ready to swat shots and rebound. 

108 victories these five have been a part of. Final fours and the biggest upset win in the history of women's college basketball. Opening a brand new downtown arena. Playing in three different conferences. Injuries, setbacks and times in the limelight and times watching from the seats on the sidelines. 

Ah...the life of a college student-athlete.

Boston College comes into town tonight to be the Cards senior night opponent. Chances are...if head coach Erik Johnson could have picked another opponent or another night to face the #8 Cardinals...he probably would have traded with any of the ACC members on the spot. Unless the option was the Irish.

These Eagles are 12-15 and 4-10 in ACC play. Unless they pull off the biggest shocker in ACC Tournament play history in Greensboro, they'll be concentrating on studies instead of offensive sets in mid-March. They've lost three of their last five...Sue Semrau's Seminoles delivering the latest "L" 86-68 on Paulie's birthday Sunday.

These Bostonians shoot the three a lot. Kelly Hughes has made 74 of them this year for BC. They connect on an ACC-best 8.4 in 23 attempts per game. 

A beautiful halftime ceremony is planned for Native American night. You won't want to hit the concession stands for those 15 minutes. Black Elk puts on a drumming show that will leave you in awe and admiration.

 A pre-game honoring of the five seniors will make you want to arrive early to the KFC YUM! Center. All five will start against the Golden Eagles.

Come out.

It's the final home game of the year for Louisville WBB. It's your chance to say "we love ya and goodbye" to "The Hammer", "Hey Jude", "I see ya Bria", "URinDyerNeedofme" and "Roni". Five women that came, saw, conquered, dealt with the pain and pleasure and performed for your entertainment. They deserve your applause one more time. They've certainly earned it. 

It'll be on WKRD 790 and Cards TV if you can't attend. An expected good time is planned for all. Unless you're sporting Baldwin the Eagle's gear. We'll wrap it up later tonight...

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Words From Walz

Jeff Walz did address the media yesterday about the seniors and the upcoming game against BC...amongst other things. Unfortunately, the Cardinal Couple crew was unable to attend the 11:30 a.m. presser. I suppose I'll have to wait until this evening to get another math lesson from the Mad Scientist. He did cover a variety of subjects in the 17 minutes oratory...including the WBB Squad getting grounded after the Notre Dame game and caravaning it back to the "Ville". 

Check it out at the link below:

WALZ TALKS SENIORS AND BC


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Durr, Cole named to WBCA All-American Team


Congratulations are in order to 2015 signees Asia Durr and Taja Cole for being named to the WBCA high school All-American team. The Women's Basketball Coaches Association honored Durr on the 10-player first team and Cole was one of twenty selected as honorable mention.


Katie Lou Samuelson was picked as WBCA Player of the Year. 

paulie
xxxxx

Senior Class Ready to Meet 2014-15 WBB Challenges -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS HIGHLIGHT WBB SENIORS


( This is the second of three articles about the 2014-15 Louisville WBB squad. Today, we look at the five seniors.)

What do you get when you have five seniors, all starters at one time or another...and a common denominator? 

Meet the "S" troops...Shawnta Dyer, Sherrone Vails, Sara Hammond, Bria Smith and Jude Schimmel. Besides sharing the 19th letter of the alphabet...they have a combined 250 starts between them. Vails and Dyer arrived on campus for the 2010-11 season...Schimmel, Smith and Hammond arrived in 2011-12 and the five have been a part of 107 wins and just 37 losses.

Experience? Yes, indeed. Without too much heavy thought...you can visualize a senior starting lineup with Bria and Jude at the guards, Sherrone and Shawnta steadying the paint and Sara doing what she loves best...popping threes from the wing. 


We doubt we'll see that combination as a pre-dominant lineup (there is a bunch of talent on this squad that will earn playing time)...but, it is within the realm of possibilities. Sara's talents will most likely be used in the paint along with Sherrone and Shawnta, while Jude and Bria will add depth and experience to the guard slots. 

It is the largest senior class in Jeff Walz's eight seasons at Louisville. In height and numbers.  Maybe not the most talented of all-time (are there three WNBA picks in here?) but one that will give any opponent a lot to prepare for and think about.

Bria came in her freshman year, won a starting guard role and hasn't relinquished it yet. A slashing, penetrating guard that has also developed a sweet, mid-range jumper. She'll be looked to repeat these skills again in the upcoming season and could likely draw the opposing squads' best guard defensive assignment. She can be used as a combo guard, too...a valuable asset.  

Jude is the most legitimate three-point threat of the

seniors. Add her crafty ball hawking and steals capability and her deadly passing skills and you have a player that Walz probably won't have seated for very long in games. The question for some is how effective will she be without big sister Shoni out there with her...we feel she's had sufficient time to learn the moves and tendencies of her 12 teammates and will be just fine. 

Sara has been one of the main inside forces over the last two years and with the added ability to step outside the arc and drain threes...she's a defensive match-up nightmare for opposing coaches. Her leadership skills will also be counted on...especially in times when the younger players on the roster are on the court. She was the senior that went to ACC Media Day with Walz and made both preseason ACC first teams. 


Shawnta is one of the unanswered question as of yet. With the last two seasons cut short with a torn ACL, MCL and a hip stress fracture...plus red-shirting her first season with a hip injury...she's only endured one year where she played 30+ games. If healthy and ready to go...she'll be a force inside...scoring and rebounding. Walz might meter her playing time due to the depth of the paint prowlers...but Shawnta can dominate inside when she is on her "A" game.

Sherrone returns after a knee surgery that kept her on the sidelines last year. The best shot-blocker on the team, Vails has shown she can score from inside and outside...plus go to the boards with power. She, too, must be considered an unanswered question as well...how does she return from a year on the sidelines...but the word is she's mobile and mixing it up in preseason practices. 

The "S" troops. Speed, shooting, strength, seniority and size. For the Cards to put "W's" on the slate...the "S's" will need to score, stop, sync, surround and soar.

(We'll look at the five freshmen on the roster in the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE). 

paulie 

Sam Fuehring joins 2015 WBB Class -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- SAM FUEHRING JOINS 2015 WBB CLASS


Louisville's women's basketball recruiting class just keeps getting better. UofL coach Jeff Walz landed a commitment from 6-foot-3 post player Sam Fuehring Tuesday.

The four-star recruit from Immaculate Conception High in Lodi, N.J., is ranked No. 26 overall by ProspectsNation.com and No. 65 overall by ESPN.com.


This is a great "get" for the Cards for 2015. As we mentioned in an article about her a couple of days back, she is a true "4" or power forward and will compliment classmate Erin De Grate in the paint for this class. Fuehring is one of those hard working, blue collar, paint dwellers that will remind many of Sara Hammond. 

In watching her vids, another strong paint player comes to mind as well...and that is former DePaul star Katherine Harry. Harry knew her fundamentals and always had big efforts in the paint against the Cards and is doing quite well making a living playing Euroball in Greece and Italy. 

Fuehring's strength is that she is a true player for the postition she plays and will give the Cards an undeniable rebounding and inside scoring threat. In past years, the Cards have had very few true power forwards...Monique Reid, Shawnta Dyer, Asia Taylor and Candyce Bingham come to mind...that have had the dual ability to be a boards monster, an effective part of the transition game Walz uses to blow past teams and play strong defense.

We have a lot of fun basketball ahead of us. Myisha Hines-Allen will give the Cards a boost on a front line that gets back Hammond, Sherrone Vails, Shawnta Dyer, "E" Henderson and Cortnee Walton.

I got a chance to speak very briefly with Vails on Tuesday when I was on campus. As I was taking the escalator down from the SAC 2nd floor, this tall, beautiful woman went bounding down the steps past me. "3" was moving gracefully with no apparant signs of pain from her surgery and told me she felt great. Choking back the tears, I told her I looked up to her and she got a huge smile on her face. I told her it was because she's 6'4" and I'm 6'3". The smile got even wider. Here's hoping she can come of the year off and resume the shot-swatting and inside scoring that the Odenton, MD center has shown in the past.

I really want 11/14/14 to get here fast.

                                                                                                                                                                                                         What makes Sam Fuehring one of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2015 is her undeniable
versatility. The 6-3 forward from Lodi Immaculate can confidently put the ball on the floor and drive through the lane, make you pay when you don’t respect her perimeter range, incorporate teams with sharp recognition and own the glass with a vice-like grip

MHA will be a very popular Cardinal

 She consistently delivered in all the aforementioned areas with a prideful polish indicative of how serious she takes her role. Fuehring, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau as a sophomore and is just over 400 points shy of 2,000 for her career, has been a catalyst in the rise of the BlueWolves, who boast a 66-17 mark during her stint. As a junior, she clicked for 20.9 points, including a career-high 35 in a 58-45 victory over Piscataway, scored no less than 11 points in any game, grabbed 7.8 rebounds and dished out 1.5 assists as Lodi Immaculate fashioned a 22-6 record.


Yes...the classes of 2014 and 2015 give UofL womens' basketball fans plenty to look forward to. Let's not forget about the girls who got the Cards this far, though. Sara, Jude, Bria, Cortnee, Megan and "E" have earned their respect. Shawnta and Sherrone are coming back to strengthen the front line.

Any thoughts of this being a rebuilding or reloading year for Louisville women's basketball can be left in the hallway with the umbrella. The sun continues to shine on this program and 2014-15 is forecast to have bright and sunny skies for the Mad Scientest and his crew.

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LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S GOLF WINS

The Louisville women's golf squad took the title at the Cardinal Club with an impressive win in Simpsonville in Cardinal Cup competition that ended Tuesday.

Louisville's black team, winners of both tournaments this season, shot a 7-over-par 295 for the final day and finished with a six-shot advantage over Memphis. The Cardinals utilized nine birdies in the final round to overtake Middle Tennessee State, which held a nine-shot lead, but finished fifth in the standings after a 32-over-par 320.

TEAM STANDINGS (top five)
1. Louisville Black - 303-290-295; 2. Memphis - 301-293-300; 3. Kennesaw State - 298-302-297; 4. James Madison - 303-298-300; 5. Middle Tennessee State - 289-295-320
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Louisville Black
4. Emily Haas - 78-71-71; t-5. Katie Mitchell - 74-74-73; t-11. Katie Petrino - 75-73-76; t-14. Louise Oxner - 79-72-75; t-39. Laura Restrepo - 76-76-80
Louisville Red
t-14. Sara Karlsson - 79-72-75; t-18. Shannon Gramley - 75-75-77; t-26. Molly Skapik - 78-74-77; t-42. Emily Kurey - 76-77-80; t-71. Haley Andreas - 85-80-77


paulie

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Angel, Dream off to fast start

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Angel, Atlanta off to 6-1 start in WNBA

-Camps a chance for players to give back and learn

One wondered how the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA would fare with new coach Fred Williams at the helm this season. Things are just fine on I-75, thank you...as Angel and the Dream are 6-1 in the early part of the season.

Atlanta dismantled Chicago 88-74 Sunday in Phillips Arena to go 4-0 at home this season. McCoughtry led the Dream with 23 points...14 in the first half...as Atlanta jumped out to a 34-18 first quarter lead and outscored the Sky 22-17 in the final quarter to gather their sixth win of the season.

A balanced scoring effort for Fred's squad...Erika de Souza adding 16 points and 11 boards, Tiffany Hayes 16, and Jasmine Thomas 13.

"It's defense that is getting us there". Thomas noted. "Turning up the pressure and creating turnovers is the key for us."

In case you wondered how Delaware star Elena Delle Donna would rotate into the WNBA, it looks like she's adjusting quite well. She totaled 25 points yesterday against Atlanta, causing Fred Williams to remark:

"It takes about 2 1/2 players to guard her."

Both squads were missing key players. Atlanta's Sancho Lyttle is with the Spanish National team for the European Championships and Chicago's Epiphanny Prince is toiling for the Russian National squad. No, not a misprint. The Russians.

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June is a busy month for camps on the UofL campus for women's sports. Louisville Volleyball just finished one that ran all last week. Jeff Walz's Elite Camp was Saturday and another starts this morning that runs for several days for younger players. Karen Ferguson Dayes' women's soccer camp for the 7-13 year olds kicks off this morning and Sandy Pearsall will also begin one this morning for softballers over at Ulmer Stadium.

The camps, in addition to being great learning opportunities for young ladies to learn the game, also give the UofL women's athletes a chance to teach the fundamentals of the sports and do some coaching.

Karen Ferguson Dayes related to us in an interview we aired on CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO that Chloe Kiefer was wildly popular with the young soccer attendees and that players baked her cookies, brought her donuts and spray-painted her hair during the course of the week last year. Sandy Pearsall will have softball players demonstrating fielding and hitting techniques today at Ulmer Stadium. And watching the UofL women's basketball players busily engaged Saturday at the skills camp was just as big a show as the young prospects.

Shoni Schimmel, prowling the sidelines...barking out instructions for drills and demonstrating techniques. Asia Taylor, head coach of one of the elite teams, plotting out strategy and outlining offensive patterns to her eager charges. Even transfer Janelle Cannon, dashing to and fro on the Cardinal Arena floor, offering a tip here...assisting in a drill there. She seems to have easily fit in with the WBB squad she just joined and her positive, take-charge attitude will serve these Cardinals well.

Perhaps the most heart-warming site was seeing a group of young skills camp attendees following 6'4" Sherrone Vails to the ground floor court for instruction. The thought of a proud mother hen leading her baby chicks on a stroll came to mind...Sherrone grinning broadly and the girls following dutifully with expressions of awe, pride and reverence.

Seeing Shoni Schimmel in dialogue with Sydney Brackemyer on the Cardinal Arena main floor. Exchanging tips and viewpoints. Shoni will never play on the same court as Syd in college, but the passing on of advice, handing the torch down to the next wave of Cardinal WBB defenders was pleasing to see.

Camps. In full swing. And serve. And kick and pass. Who says the college campuses are drowsy and inactive during the summer? At UofL, the bouncing of balls, stomping of shoes and shouting of instructions are in full motion.

Teaching. It's what universities do. It's what camps provide. For the students and the instructors. And, it is in full swing on the Belknap Campus this summer.

-Paulie

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Cardinals Close YUM regular season with a win!

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Cards sink Pirates on Senior Night 72-62.

(Staff columnist Jenny O'Bryan brings us the game report of Louisville's 72-62 win over Seton Hall. For tearful fairwells, Mo-On-The-Go, Vails threats and Nita knowledge...read all about it below!)

Louisville Women’s Basketball took to the court for the final regular season home game, also Senior Night, in front of a very appreciative crowd. 

Bret Trager-Kusman, student manager, Monique Reid and Shelby Harper were escorted onto the court by loved ones in a pregame celebration of the years of contributions they have given to Louisville Women’s Basketball. 

Monique Reid took that momentum straight to the court and scored the Cardinals first 5 points, with the first points for the Cards being a 3-pointer.  Reid hit just her 8^th 3-point shot of her career, and started the scoring for the Cardinals.   Antonita Slaughter also started the game hot and led all scorers at the half with 15 points, and led all scorers for the night with 17.

The Cards won the game, though I would not exactly call it a good night of basketball.  It was not a bad night of basketball either.  Interestingly, though, there were a lot of things a variety of Cards did that stood out to me. 

One of the things I love most about this team is that any number of players can step up on a given night and help carry the team.  Tonight, Bria Smith and Sara Hammond looked a little off their game that we as fans are use to, but Slaughter and Shoni Schimmel stepped up and carried the offensive load.  That being said, there was a great spread of points amongst the players.  Only two ended up in double figures, but 8 of the 10 who played scored, and 5 players scored 7 or more points.  While Slaughter stood out in the first half for her offensive scoring, it was a well-distributed spread of points on the night. 

Referee Thurman Leggs, Jr. makes a cameo in a Paulie picture

The defense of the Cards has been known to keep them in games against tough competition.  This was not the best defensive game of the season by any means, but several players really stood out.  Jude Schimmel led an offensive spark by three consecutive defensive possessions when she had a block, poked a ball out of bounds and then stole the ball.  It was a huge spark for the Cards. 

Sherronne Vails had what I think was one of the best games I have seen her play probably since her freshman year.  In one possession she had two blocks, and totaled 5 on the night.  She was moving offensively with and without the ball and got a couple buckets in transition.  It was a great effort for the “handsy” junior.   Vails has long gotten the short end of my attention due to missed and dropped passes.  While there were a couple of those tonight, she moved with and without the ball better than I have seen her move. 

I was really, really impressed with the effort of Cortnee Walton in the second half.  Her stats are not quite indicative of how well and hard she played in the second half.  On the night she had 7 points, 3 boards and 1 assist.  Most important, though, is she was moving hard and aggressive in the paint and had only 1 turnover.  I am so excited to watch this young woman develop and grow as a player.  She is going to be a big part of the future of this program.  The growth this season alone is only scratching the surface, I believe, of what Walton will bring to Louisville Basketball.  I don’t want to wish these kids lives and careers away, but I can already hardly wait to see the growth she has from off-season workouts.  I expect her to be a workhorse and think we will see huge growth from her these next few years.

Overall, on the night, the most impressive stat for me is ball movement and sharing the ball.  Of the 10 players on the floor for the night, only two did not log at least one assist.  For so long, years even, Cardinal Faithful has been hearing Coach Walz talk about ball movement and making the pass to set up the assist to the bucket.  With the spread of assists on the night, I would say this team is buying in to that philosophy.  It was nice to see and I hope we continue to see more of it.  Way to share the ball and assist the bucket, ladies. 

I would be remiss to not mention Shoni’s effort on the night.  It appears the dust has settled and I would say a good lesson must have been learned.  It was deep in the first half before Shoni even took a shot, shot selection was better (until she had to throw up something due to the expiring shot clock) and there was evidence on the court of defensive effort.  Shoni is not going to win any defensive player of the year awards, but I did witness effort that has been lacking in the past.  I also like her assists on the nights.  When Shoni plays a balanced game, and is not forcing things offensively, this team can compete with most teams in the country.  Keep it up, Shoni. 

The biggest deficit on the night was rebounding.  It has been an Achilles heel all season, and tonight was no different.  The Cards were -6 for the night on the boards.  Given our post presence has taken the hit this year with injuries, this continual problem is to be expected.  I know Coach Walz and Company are working on it.   I know this season is not over yet, but this team has a lot of big bodies, has the big presence of Emmonnie Henderson coming in next year.  Healthy, I expect this to be a big and physical inside game inside next year. 

In the meantime, there is still work to be done.  The Cardinals head to Syracuse to close the regular season on Monday and right now, the team controls their own destiny regarding the Big East Tournament.  Win on Monday, and the team secures a double-bye.  That is two less games that will be played heading in to the Big Dance.  It is an exciting wind down to the season. 

Finally, we cannot state enough the importance of getting your tickets to the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.  While I firmly believe we have a great fan base, we can and should do better.  We have dropped in attendance this year, and have not only fallen out of second place in the country but we have also dropped to second within our own conference.  If we want to host tournaments, we have to show up.   It is that simple.  Get your tickets.  Show up.  Fill the seats.  Fill the arena.  Support your team and get a couple more opportunities to see your favorite seniors doing the state of Kentucky proud. 

Photo by Austin Lassell. Austinlassell.com

( Editor's Note. Attending these first and second round games makes a big statement in terms of Louisville getting to host future NCAA 1st and 2nd round games and Regionals. Maybe even an ACC Tournament down the road. It's imperative to show up. Buying tickets isn't enough. Get in the seats and cheer. See you there!)


POST GAME PRESS INTERVIEW ROOM LINK BELOW:



WALZ, NITA, MO and SHELBY POST GAME QUOTES

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