Evans 27 pushes Cards WBB past BC 81-70 -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

DANA'S SEVEN THREES HELPS CARDS WBB GO TO 17-1, 6-0

When one of a team's players is responsible for 1/3 of the team's points, you could easily say she was the key factor in your win. And, so it was for Louisville women's basketball last night. Dana Evans produced three of her seven three-pointers in a huge second quarter for the Cards and #5 Louisville wins on the road by 11 against a conference foe that showed a lot of fight in trying to down the 6-0, league leading Cards. 

Say what you will about west-coast guards or fabulous freshmen, Evans proved why she merits serious consideration for NCAA DI WBB MVP honors last night with a 7-10 effort from three-point range in a game the was pretty closely contested for three quarters.


Louisville got a strong effort from the rest of the roster as well, shooting 57.7% from the floor, a season high percentage, against a BC squad led just once in the contest -- early on at 3-2. Bionca Dunham did not participate in the game, Walz sitting her because of a unspecified "nagging injury". Yacine Diop drew the start and her efforts, along with strong off-the bench play from Kasa Robinson and Liz Dixon, made the absence of the Philly senior a bit easier to bear. Louisville went "four guards" a lot of the way in this one, to counter the smaller Eagles offense. Robinson stood up huge for the Cards, seeing 28 minutes and grabbing a noteworthy six rebounds. 

The first quarter might be one that the Cards would like to forget. Plagued by seven turnovers, the Cards struggled early and held just a 11-10 lead halfway through the session. Four different players scored, though, in a three minute stretch after that and 8-2 Cardinal run had them up 19-12 after Liz Dixon connected in the paint. The Eagles weren't ready to concede just yet, though, and countered with a quarter-closing 6-0 run to set the score at 19-18 after the first ten minutes. Evans had five of those points and just one three at that point and it looked like a tightly-contested battle might be on hand. 

A Yacine Diop three got the Cards going early in the second period and it was part of a 11-3 run that forged the Cards to a 30-21 advantage halfway through the quarter -- after a Evans three. Louisville would sink five three-pointers in that 10 minute session and shoot their way to a 40-30 lead when the buzzer sounded the end of the first half. 

The Cards were 16-29 from the floor in 20 minutes and Evans was an incredible six of seven from the deep and had won the quarter 21-12. "E' Balogun had seven points for the Cards, who held Boston College to just three made shots from the floor in the second quarter and 33% shooting. Whistle blowing favored the home squad in this quarter, they went 5-8 from the charity stripe -- the Cards did not attempt a free throw in that stretch and were just 2-2 in the first half from the line. 


The third quarter proved to be the highest scoring quarter of the game for both squads. Boston College made an early effort to get back in the battle with a 5-0 run early on, drawing within five at 42-35 and then 49-43 with nearly seven minutes to go in the third. 

It was a huge quarter for Jazmine Jones, who scored six of her 12 total points, and the Cards were continuing to step up their shooting effort, with a brilliant 9-13 (69%) effort from the floor. After the Eagles had managed to draw within six, Louisville's 13-5 run over the next five minutes had them holding a 62-48 lead. Dana was now 6-7 from three point range and two Robinson free throws set the score at 64-52 with ten minutes to play. 46 points were scored in those 10 minutes, the Cards with a 24-22 edge. 

Louisville would  forge out to their largest lead at 70-55 when Dana knocked down a three with 7:59 to play. Boston College had a brief response and got the deficit back to 10 in a nice two minute stretch, but Balogun stuck a final dagger in the Eagles defense with a three at the 4:34 mark to give UofL a 75-60 lead. Here came BC again, with five straight points, but Kylee Shook's inside score and two Evans free throws, the final two of her 27 points for the night, had Louisville up 79-65 with just 79 seconds to play. 


81-70 Cards.

We always say that road wins are so huge in ACC play and the Cards had gained one with Evans' effort and a strong supporting cast. Not necessarily a pretty, textbook-example of how to defeat an opponent, but it counts the same as one of those in the standings. W ACCOMPLISHED. Next ? 

Five Cardinals ended up in double figures...12 each for Jonesie, Shook and Diop. "E' tallied 10 points and Kasa finished with six, Liz with just two, but a strong defensive game for both against a Eagles squad that shot 47% for the night. 

(PHOTOS AND IMAGES FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES TODAY. OUR PHOTOGRAPHER JARED ANDERSON DECIDED TO FLY SOUTH INSTEAD OF TO BEANTOWN. THANKS TO ALL! ) 


THE FRED REPORT

Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) would have approved of this
high-intensity show last night,  9 Teen 90 Nine, anyone?

FREE THROWS -- It wasn't a game controlled by the whistles, just 26 total fouls between the two squads. Louisville went to the line 12 times and sank 10 of the chances, a 83.3% we'll accept each and every time. Only four Cards attempted charity tosses, Dana leading the way with 4-4 marksmanship.  A no-brainer here, we decree a CAPTIAL "F" for making the ones no one is guarding you on. 

REBOUNDS -- The Cards were the taller team, BC tried to counter that by forcing Louisville into a smaller lineup, but UofL prevailed in grabs 28-24. Because of the lineup alteration, two players we don't normally see here as leader -- Jaz with seven and Kasa with six led the way. It was on the boards that Bionca was most missed, in my opinion, and anytime the Cards have the higher number of grabs, I have no trouble handing out a CAPITAL "R" for the corralling of missed shot efforts. 

EFFICIENCY/EXECUTION -- 57.7% is huge, on the road, and 19 assists on 30 made shots a nice number as well. Enough can't be said about Evans -- 8-14 overall from the floor, 7-20 from three range and all four free throws. The basket must have looked as big as a swimming pool to her. Jaz was 6 for ten, too, and that's huge. 16 turnovers is more than we like, though, and Louisville actually lost in points-in- paint battle (28-30) and tied the Eagles in second chance points (5 each). For me the deciding feature will be fast-break points, where the Cards held a 15-4 advantage. That shows hustle, execution and effort to me and I'll be generous and toss a Capital "E" on the pile of capital letters already awarded. 

DEFENSE -- 70 allowed points is border line stuff in terms of defense efficiency. 15 turnovers forced is, too. What slightly bothers me is that the Cards could go from  a 10-15 point lead in this one and make the defensive shutdown to build a 20-25 point lead. BC always had an answer offensively to stem any huge Cardinal runs. A small case "d" is the judgement here, yes, it was a win, but Louisville had just two blocks and just six steals.

FINAL FRED TALLY:  F-R-E-d


THEY SAID IT

You can catch some post-game comments over at www.thecrunchzone.com  

Tom Farmer made the trip to ask Dana and Walz that they had for dinner the night before....and got a rudimentary lesson on why teams want to win games. 

All righty, then...


SOOOO...

Missed you. B. Feel better soon ! 

A win is a win and the Cards got a huge night from Evans to make sure they stayed undefeated in ACC play. BC coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee knows Walz's style and where to capitalize and "pick on" Louisville's weaknesses and she did it sufficiently enough to keep from getting blown out and stay very competitive for three quarters. 

She was without a key force on her squad also, and, this one might have been closer if guard Cameron Swartz had been able to go for the Eagles. Or, it could have been a bigger win if "B" had played. You decide, I'll just take the "W" over a team that just might surprise with a few huge wins over the very tough "next four" (at Ga Tech, Va Tech FSU and home against Wake) for them. 

Finding a way to win. Survive and advance. Those are the things that teams, coaches and players are looking to do when they go out on the court and Louisville did accomplish that with a season-best shooting percentage and a "Player-of-the-week"  type effort from Evans.

Before we go, let's give a nod to the Eagles Makaya Dickens. She was 6-10 from three point-rage and she and Emma Guy had 39 of BC's points. 

The Cards get a new challenge Sunday in Chapel Hill, when the Cards travel to North Carolina and try to deal with TarHeels inside powerhouse Janelle Bailey and a UNC squad that has responded favorably to first year coach Courtney Banghart. 

Have a fantastic Friday ! 

paulie
xxxxx

WBB Visits BC and More! -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

On the Road Again

This time tomorrow I'll be en route to visit Katy down at Florida State.  She just submitted grad schools applications, including ones to Louisville Seminary and UK (UofL doesn't offer her program), so wish her luck!



(EDITOR NOTE. WE WILL, OF COURSE, DROP JARED FROM OUR STAFF IF KATY ENDS UP AT UK. STRICTLY BUSINESS, NOTHING PERSONAL. STAY TUNED.) 






Basketball Visits Boston College

The B.C.mascot is Baldwin the Eagle

Tonight, our beloved women's basketball team will also be on the road, and hopefully will have arrived safely to take on Boston College in Chestnut Hill.  The 9-7 Eagles have had a roller coaster season that's seen them not win or lose more than two games in a row.  They are coming off a loss to Virginia but took down Notre Dame prior to that so no superstitions to fret over here.

Boston College is 0-2 at home in the ACC this year with losses to Virginia and NC State.  I was told that Ms. Wuf did not make the trip. We're pretty sure Baldwin flew in for Wolfpack vs. Eagles. .

Give the BC offense credit, as they are averaging 76.8 points per game, ranking second in the ACC.  They topped 100 twice on the year in wins over Delaware State (109-69) and St Francis Brooklyn (106-69).  Their 15.8 assists per game ranks second in the league.

With five players averaging double-figures, this Boston College team is scary.  You can often shut down one or two players but trying to shut down a full five-player lineup is a much greater challenge.

Cards WBB had no trouble with BC when MHA was here.

Taylor Soule (12.8), Cameron Swartz (12.6), Emma Guy (12.1), Marnelle Garraud (10.3), and Makayla Dickens (10.1) are all in a race for the points trophy at the end of the year for the Eagles.  Dickens, Swartz, and Garraud are all three-point threats, all shooting above .300 and all making at least 22 treys on the year.  Milan Bolden-Morris is in the three-point club too with a .338 mark and 24 made threes.

Defensively, Boston College has been abysmal.  They allow 68.2 points per game, putting them near the bottom of the barrel in the ACC.  They have surrendered 70 or more points in eight games so far.

Louisville's defense has been one of the best, allowing 57.2 points per game.  That number is even better in the ACC, as they have allowed 53.0 points per game in league play.

(Let's hope the "Iron Cardinals" punch in for work onight.) 

The Cards are the one team better than Boston College in assists with 15.9 per game, a sign of
outstanding ball movement.  I'm sure Jeff Walz is thrilled with that mark.  Assists are a key factor in both the FRED and CASE reports, so that is sure to help bump up a letter in each report.

Coach Walz spoke of the balanced attack the Eagles present to opponents...so the game plan probably isn't going to revolve around Louisville focusing on shutting down just one player.

Coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee was an assistant at Maryland at the same time Jeff Walz was. She's been at Boston College two years and has complied a record of 23-23.

The Cards have owned the series 6-1.  Last year, Louisville steamrolled the Eagles at the KFC Yum! Center 87-51.  The last and only time the Eagles took down the Cards, Case and I were not born yet.  (sorry, Paulie and Jeff).


Field Hockey USWNT News

Erica Cooper one of five UofL Stick
Girls on the USWNT. 

With UofL remaining rather quiet on this it almost slipped by us.  Thanks to some fortunate shares by some players and parents on social media we caught wind of this exciting news.

Five current UofL field hockey players were named to 32-player the U-21 USWNT for 2020.  That's pretty darn good, especially when it means 16% of the roster is occupied by Cardinals.

Alli Bitting, Erica Cooper, Margot Lawn, Megan Schneider, and Minna Tremonti are the Cards listed.  Cooper is the only Kentucky native formthe USWNT, playing her high school hockey at Louisville Assumption, while Pennsylvania was the most common state with 12 players from there.  There are a trio of players from San Diego, including Schneider.

Training will be Feb. 20-24 in Chula Vista, Calif.  They will add extra training Marc 27-29 in Chapell Hill and Durham.

The Pan-American Championship will be held in Santiago, Chile from Nov. 30- Dec. 13.  Hopefully the Cards will have just wrapped up their first NCAA Championship a week prior up in Virginia.

Softball

If you haven't gotten to listen to Paulie's sit down with Holly Aprile in yesterday's article I highly
suggest you check it out.  Aprile seemed ecstatic about the upcoming season.

Here is the link again:

LINK: https://soundcloud.com/user-748907999/dr0000_1744mp3

Obviously, Celene Funke is the leader on the team as she commands the outfield and will most likely lead off.  She has a teammate who can nearly match her energy in Maddy Newman, who we should see back at second base.

Caitlin Ferguson has been a solid defender in her three years so far on the left side of the infield and will control the shortstop position.

The top pitcher is Taylor Roby.  As a redshirt freshman last year she showed extreme poise in the circle and was a go-to in tight situations.  With Megan Hensley graduated and Danielle Watson transferred it will be up to Roby to lead a rather young pitching corps.  She's also been known to pack a mighty punch at the plate with her bat. Transfer from Auburn Chardonnay Harris led the Tigers in strikeouts last year as a sophomore and was the 2016 Illinois High School Softball player of the year, so she should be a big boost to the pitching contingent and is a hard-throwing lefty.

Also with a strong bat is Rebecca Chung, one of three catchers on the team.  She did have the big walk-off hit against Florida State on Monday night on ESPN.  She also has a cannon of an arm.  One of her partners behind the plate is Cassady Greenwood, who Aprile has praised for her off-season work both on defense and with a bat.

Greenwood's sister, Carmyn, is one of two transfers in from Auburn, along with Harris.

The other set of sisters on the team are Paige and Riley Schindler, twins from Borden.  Paige is healthy and will be a good accompaniment in the circle.  Riley, who recently got engaged, will spend her time rotating the corners in the outfield in a shared role with Jordyn Wolfe and a fully recovered Charley Butler.

The corners of the infield are a big question mark.  Sidney Melton graduated.  Besides, holding that third base position, Melton nearly matched Funke's speed and the duo were in a battle for most steals and most runs scored last year.  Kyra Snyder transferred out, leaving first base wide open.  I suspect Cass Greenwood and Chung will alternate the spot along with the catcher role, assuming both keep their batting average up.

My guess is that when the preseason polls get released soon the Cards will be in the receiving votes category.  The Cards were a pair of runs shy from upsetting Northwestern to reach their first ever Sweet Sixteen, but showed a great amount of improvement over the season.

I am fully confident they will be back in the NCAA Tournament and flirting with that Sweet Sixteen appearance.  There are a few tough foes in the ACC, including powerhouse Florida State and Virginia Tech, so my guess is that the Cards will finish either third or fourth in the regular season.

Note: The opinions expressed here about 2020 Cards softball are those of the author, Jared Anderson, and may not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and management of Cardinal Couple nor the program. 

AND...

If you're wanting more basketball this weekend head down to the KFC Yum! Center to see the Harlem Globetrotters in action on Saturday, Jan. 18.  They'll also be at Rupp Arena the day before.  Hoops Green is a guard and one of five women on the roster.  She hails from Lexington Catholic High School here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

(Today's pictures are from a variety of sources. We're still trying to get Jared to include more of his photos in articles he writes, but it's like trying to lead a mule uphill with a 500 lb. duffle bag on his back...)


Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Interview with Holly Aprile -- WBB Presser today -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

APRILE PLEASED WITH EARLY PRACTICES FOR SOFTBALL

I had the opportunity to spend Tuesday morning with head softball Coach Holly Aprile and, I have to say, the second year coach is rapidly becoming one of my favorite interviews to do. She's honest, factual, detailed and wants to make sure she presents all of her student-athletes in the best fashion she can. Once the microphone is off, there is a playful, enjoyable banter that develops between us and that's a great side of her as well.

I'm still waiting for my official designation as "senior citizen bat boy" for their opening road trip to Clearwater, FL in early February...although it might be one of those situations where it's "don't call us, we'll call you." 

We reviewed the early practices they've had, the returning players, who is new to the program and the schedule ahead in our lengthy and informative "state of Cardinal Softball" sit-down and I hope you'll enjoy the interview lined up for your listening pleasure below: 

LINK:   Holly Aprile Interview


A special thanks to Holly for doing this and also to Softball S.I.D. Lori Korte Harmon for arranging it, sitting in on it and who seemingly enjoyed it as much as Holly and I did!  The season starts Feb 7th., in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, FL, and the first home appearance will be March 8th, when the Cards host the Red and Black Challenge at Ulmer. 

A combination of returnees and new players should make this a strong and viable team in the ACC this season. As always, players come and go, due to graduation and such, but you don't want to miss Celene Funke, Taylor Roby, Caitlin Ferguson and two sets of sisters (the Schindlers and the Greenwood gals) on the newly resurfaced Ulmer Stadium/Dan Dobina Field this year ! 


WALZ PRESSER TODAY

I'll be back on campus this afternoon for the weekly Jeff Walz women's basketball press conference. Coach really doesn't set much of an agenda for these presser, he just sits down and invites the media to fire away with questions. 

My guess is Coach will talk about the Wake Forest win, the next foe (at Boston College) and promote the upcoming USA Women's National Team visit on Super Bowl Sunday February 2nd. 

There's always seemingly a topic or issue, as well, where Walz gets to pontificate, provide an analysis and take a stance on...that lets him "free form" and let his personality shine. 

And, it was another great Walz presser. Coach talks Boston College, Jazmine Jones, applying for a redshirt status for Seygan Robins, the ACC, the USA Women's National Team coming to Louisville (got your tickets yet?) and more at the link below: 

LINK:  JEFF WALZ PRESS CONFERENCE 1/15/20

Your comments are always most welcome. 

Louisville starts this road trip against the  Boston College Eagles Thursday 7 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, MA and then hits Tobacco Road for a battle with North Carolina on Sunday.  Thursday's game will be shown on the ACC Network Extra.

We recommend you listen to the broadcast on Cards Radio 790 with Nick Curran and Adrienne Johnson while watching. Their play-by-play and commentary enhances and builds upon what you're viewing and...you know how it is with the ACC Network Extra cadre of announcers.

Sometimes, with ACC Network Extra announcers you get a good hand and don't need any cards. Sometimes it's "fold 'em", though, and wait for the next deal.   

Tomorrow, my guess is Jared will preview the B.C. matchup and also the honors bestowed future Cardinals Hailey Van Lith and Olivia Cochran. But, it's Jared...and I never really know what to expect out him and his articles, but they always manage to be informative and entertaining.  I guess you'll just have to click us tomorrow and find out.  

Have a wonderful Wednesday and do something kind for someone today !! 


paulie
xxxxx

New Rankings -- Debate Question -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

New Rankings, Cards Come in Fifth

With #1, #2, and #3 all losing over the weekend we saw a major shakeup in the latest AP Poll.  For Louisville, the good news is that the Cards moved up to #5.

South Carolina climbed from #4 to #1.  Their sole loss came in the Paradise Jam to a tough Indiana team.

Baylor moved from #6 all the way up to #2 after taking down UConn in the XL Center.  Kim Mulkey's squad has lost just once, to the current #1 team back during the Paradise Jam.

Stanford went from #5 to #3.  They too only have one loss, a shocker at Texas right before Christmas.

UConn dropped from #1 to #4.  Following suit with the rest of the Top Five, they have one loss, which just happened in the aforementioned section.

Louisville is #5 after a blowout win at Miami and a pretty strong home victory against Wake Forest.

Oregon dropped from #2 to #6 after losing to Arizona State.

UCLA moved up a spot from #8 to #7.

Oregon State dropped from #3 to #8 after also losing to the Sun Devils.

NC State remained at #9 and Mississippi State moved from #13 to #10 to round out the Top 10.

Kentucky is flirting with the Top 10 after coming in at #11.  Besides their loss to the superior Cards, they also got a whooping against South Carolina to start 2020.

Florida State comes in at #13 to finish out the three ACC schools in the Top 25.

Debate Question

I like to start some debates every one in a while and the closing seconds of Sunday's win sparked a discussion among some of us photographers.

When do you empty your bench when it's clear you're going to win and at what point is it too late in the game to bother putting the bench in?

Jeff Walz sent Molly Lockhart, Lindsey Duvall, and Jessica Laemmle to the scorers table to check in right at the one minute mark against Wake Forest.  After the Cards scored with 27 seconds remaining Walz called a timeout to allow the trio to check into the game.  Their time consisted of playing defense down the court and the Demon Deacons hitting a three to close out the game.

By that time there wasn't much point in having them go in.  With so little time left it almost seems
insulting to be sent into the game.

Had they come in with a minute and a half or so then they would have had the opportunity for a couple series up and down the court, although still not enough for any real game play experience.

So let me know your opinion on the debate question.  I'd love to hear your thoughts! Be sure to check back tomorrow to read some of the comments, please add your own and catch Paulie's interview with Softball head coach Holly Aprile. The squad goes into their second week of practice and there are a few changes we need to familiarize ourselves with.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Strong start send WBB past Wake Forest 75-61 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

EARLY RUN, BALANCED SCORING HELP CARDS GO TO 16-1

For the second straight game, the University of Louisville women's basketball squad jumped on an opponent early with solid defense and early scoring. The Cards, now 16-1, 5-0, went on a five minute, 14-0 run in the first quarter to go from trailing 6-5 to holding a 19-6 lead against the Demon Deacons. 

In that stretch, Dana Evans had six points,  Jazmine Jones added four and the Cardinal defense forced Wake Forest into four turnovers and held them to 0 for 4 shooting.

The Cards led 19-9 after one quarter and Wake Forest was searching for answers to solve their 4-14 shooting (28.6%) and slowing down a Louisville squad that had a 10-0 points-off-turnovers edge and was out-scoring them 10-4 in the paint. 

Wake Forest has had a propensity for playing opponents close all season, and, they would eventually get it together enough to actually win the second half 38-37, but the second quarter featured Louisville equaling their 19-point first quarter by benefiting from the foul line (6-6) and turning back two Wake challenges to them. The Deacs trimmed Louisville's lead to 21-16 after Canadian sensation Christina Morra connected inside at the 7:46 mark. A minute later a huge three from Alexandria Scruggs created a bit of nervousness in the 9414 fans in attendance when her three made it 23-19. 

A huge Evans three pushed the lead back out to 26-19, but, Wake came knocking at the door again when Alex Sharp nailed a jumper to make it 28-23 with 2:45 until the half. 

Coach Walz has warned us several times that the fan base shouldn't expect any 18-0 or real huge runs out of this group of Cardinals this year. But, his squad did piece together a half-ending 10-0 run. Jones and Evans led the way again. Jaz's spectacular leap, catch and score on a beautiful pass from Evans with just five seconds left in the half set the tally at 38-23, which created Louisville's largest lead of the contest.



The Cards held a huge advantages in points-off-turnovers (21-0) and Wake hadn't been to the free throw line yet, something that WFU coach Jen Hoover was raising a huge ruckus about on the sidelines and during timeouts during the first 20 minutes. Wake actually had a small rebounding edge 19-17, but those costly 12 Deacon turnovers were a key factor in first half play and Wake needed to regroup and find some answers for stopping the effective Cardinal offense. 

Evans (13 pts.), Jaz (8 pts) and E (7 pts) were carrying the load for Louisville in the first half and Bionca Dunham had already collected five defensive rebounds in the first twenty minutes. Just four turnovers for the Cards was a positive factor as well.

Jen can go to either hand, as you see in the photos,
when she's offering suggestions to players or baiting refs.
She uses her feet to jog five miles each morning. WHAT ?  

The Cards began the second half with Kylee. She scored Louisville's first six points and the Cards used them to maintain a 44-30 lead after three minutes of action. Jaz and Dana were recognizing she she open and able to pop outside jumpers effectively against the visitors and even spear-headed a fast break for a layup. Wake had held her to four first half points and maybe didn't consider her a part of their "must shut down in the second half" strategy" -- she made them pay.


Wake trimmed the Cardinal lead to 10 with 6:25 left in the third and Morra's strong inside bucket made it 49-42 with 2:29 remaining in the quarter. By the time the clock struck 00:00 in the third, the Demons had cut UofL's halftime lead in half and the score stood at 55-47 with ten minutes to go. Wake was showing signs of life again and had won the quarter 24-17. 

The fourth quarter was just plain puzzling. 

The referees decided they hadn't had enough work in thirty minutes and called a combined total of 13 fouls, after whistling just 20 total in the previous three quarters. Neither team could take advantage of the whistle-fest, though. Louisville went 4-8 from the charity stripe and Wake Forest 2-5.

Louisville called on Jazmine Jones to provide the spark and magic and she responded with 10 final-quarter points. Dana added seven and UofL pushed the lead back to 14 after a dramatic Jones score to start the session. 

Just 75 seconds into play, J.J. drove to the basket, performed a fantastic spin move past WFU defender Alex Sharp and got a layup that was deserving of  "four-letter network consideration" for one of the top 10 plays on Sunday. The "ankle-breaking" sequence became a Twitter sensation almost immediately after she performed the surgery and it spurred an early 8-2 Cardinal run that finally buried the visitors for good. 

Look, Ma ! I got a 1000 pt. ball and picture with Coach ! 

Dana sank a free throw with two minutes left to give Louisville their largest lead of the quarter at 73-56 with two minutes remaining. It was a quarter where Louisville owned the paint again (16-4) in points scored and limited Wake to just 5-14 shooting and only two second chance points. The Cards went with the combination of Jones, Shook, Evans, Diop and Robinson for most of the quarter and belatedly inserted Konno, Duvall, Lockhart and Laemmle late.  

75-61 for the Cards, who pick up their fifth straight ACC win to remain the only undefeated squad in the conference. Four in double figures for Louisville and a hard-fought win over a Wake Forest squad that just wouldn't go away and was competitive much of the game -- save for the three extended Louisville runs that turned the contest into a Cardinal win. 


THE FRED REPORT

Cards string up another victim. Poor
Fred the Bear...ventured out of Wake Forest. 

FREE THROWS -- Louisville tried 15 and sank 11 and that was good enough for 73.3%. My esteemed colleague Jeff McAdams would question the "CAPITAL F" I'm going to assign to this category, his standards a bit higher than Coach Walz and my 70% hopes from the line. Dana was a perfect 6-6 and but Jaz just 2-4. 

REBOUNDS -- Wake has been out-rebounding foes by an average of 11 a game this season and they out-grabbed the Cards by 10 at 42-32. Sharp, Raca and Morra hit the glass very hard and very tenaciously for WFU and Louisville, despite eight grabs from Kylee and seven from Dunham, just couldn't match that prowess. No letter here. 

EFFICIENCY/EXECUTION -- Only nine Cardinal turnovers is a welcome stat to see. Especially Diop with just one in almost 20 minutes. The fast break was providing points (10-0 edge), the Cards shot an "O.K." 40% from the floor but they did have 19 assists on 30 made baskets, which is encouraging. Jaz continues to be a heat-seeking missile finding the target on the floor with 8-10 shooting and Dana nearly had a double-double with 20 points and nine assists. After deliberation, A CAPITAL "E" is the way to go in the award. 

DEFENSE -- Guarding proved to be spot on early when Louisville pulled away and we note the 19 WFU turnovers, nine Cardinal steals and five blocked shots as well. Wake did out-hustle the Cards in second chance points 16-6, though, and ended up shooting 40% for the game after an ice cold start from the floor. Louisville's defensive effort got the job done, it wasn't spectacular, but it does deserve a small case "d". 

FINAL FRED TALLY:  F-_-E-d


THEY SAID IT

Post-game comments from Jen Hoover, Jeff Walz, Dana Evans and Jaz Jones await your listening below: 

JEN HOOVER

JEFF WALZ

DANA AND JAZ



SOOOO...

-- It's encouraging to see the Cards, once again, come out and throw the hammer down on the opponent early. The "dual alphas" Dana and Jaz are also surrounded by a very strong supporting cast. "E" quietly amassed ten points in 21 minutes and Kylee nearly got a double-double with 122 points and eight grabs. Bionca works so hard at both ends of the court, is the vocal leader on the floor and... you have to go a step beyond, past the stats, to fully appreciate what she does out on the hardwood nightly. 

--The Cards Seygan Robins was on a "scooter" last night, word is she had a small "procedure" on her ailing right foot on Friday. One has to wonder if maybe a red-shirt this season might be in the offing for her...with just two appearances this season. Time will tell. 

-- Louisville takes to the highway for their next two. A Thursday trip to Boston College, who got beaten on their home court by a resurgent Virginia team yesterday, and a Sunday trip to Chapel Hill, NC., where the surprising TarHeels will put their 12-4 record up against the Cards. UNC was handled pretty easily by FSU yesterday in Tallahassee 78-64 to drop them to 3-2 in ACC play, but they are still a formidable foe at home, 8-1 in games played at their place.  




(PHOTOS AND POST-GAME VIDEO FROM THE EXCELLENT JARED ANDERSON TODAY) 


paulie
xxxxx

Sunday Cardinal Couple - WBB Gameday and More

WBB Gameday vs Wake Forest

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come to the KFC Yum! Center to play today at 2pm.  The Deacs come in on a three game win streak, and a mixed strength of schedule.

Of those last three, the best win probably was over Georgia Tech (12-3, 3-1), with Duke and Clemson both sitting at 1-3 in conference.  The loss in conference was a close one against Miami.  In the non-conference part of the schedule, wins over Dayton and Florida are certainly respectable, but a loss to East Tennessee State is a little concerning.

Wake Forest has already developed a feel for tight conference games in this young conference season with all four of those decisions being by five points or less.  Give the Deacs credit for grit and not giving up.

The high scorers for the Deacons are Ivana Raca (6'2" F) at 16.3 per game, Alex Sharp (6'1" G) with
12.7, Gina Conti (5'10" G) with 11.3, and Christina Morra (6'2" F) checking in with 8.2.  Wake has no one listed on their roster as a center.  They do have 6'4" Maya Banks listed as a Forward, but she doesn't see a huge amount of playing time.  The rebounding threat, and Wake statistically outrebounds their opponents, comes from Raca and Sharp.  Una Udoh (6'1" F) is the biggest blocking threat, but with only 12 on the season, that doesn't look to be a major consideration.  Raca, Sharp, and Conti can all hit threes with reasonable efficiency, but Sharp is the best sharpshooter on the squad, draining over 40% of her shots from distance.

How would I game plan for this game?  Well, I haven't been able to catch any of their games yet, but I would be looking to get touches by either or both of Bionca Dunham and Kylee Shook down in the paint on every trip down the court.  Wake doesn't seem to have size that can deal with them.  I wouldn't expect the four guard lineup from Louisville today, unless we see Wake start to punish the Cards from three range.

The game will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra with tip-off at 2pm.  Take your pick of game promotions as they seem to be a bit overloaded today.  Disney Day, Spirit Day, Faculty Appreciation Day, and the $10 Family Meal Deal are all on the calendar for today. We always recommend that you check out Nick Curran and Adrienne Johnson and their descriptive account of the Cards WBB squad on Cards Radio 790 AM WKRD.

Head downtown this afternoon to see the best sports squad
on the Belknap Campus do work against a challenging ACC foe. The WBB squad won't be back in the YUM! for 11 days after this afternoon's contest, so catch them today!

Track and Field

Track and Field took to the indoor track at Purdue in the inaugural Gene Edmonds Memorial Invitational and saw quite a few successes with eight wins on the second and final day.

Gabriela Leon took wins in both Pole Vault and Long Jump with the Cards also picking up 3rd and 4th place in both of those events.

Rashida Harris took first in Shot Put on the women's side, with Christian Buckley getting the win on the guy's side.

Kayla Alexander took the victory in the 60 Meter Hurdles, and Sharnae Alston broke the tape in the 60 Meter Dash.

Guys wins to round out the eight victories went to Trey Allen in the High Jump, Sterling Warner in the 60 Meter Dash, and Cameron Stephens in the 3000m.

(Photos today from Jared, Paulie, godeacs.com and gocards.com) 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

We continue to work on the new format for the CCRH.  Digital Audio recording and streaming is really hard and fiddly to get right.  We were at the NorthEast Regional Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library yesterday, and while the equipment was a little limited, and the space was...cozy...for three of us, we were able to stream a show.  The audio starts out...not great, though it does improve some later in the show.  In general, we liked the space and I'll be working with the staff at LFPL to bring other improvements to our show and their overall setup.

I've done a bit editing work on the following audio-only link, that should be a bit easier to listen to:
https://ccrh.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/podcast-audio/2020-01-11%2011-00-16.mp3

If you want to see the slideshow of Jared's photos from the Duke game, the video with them in it is below.  The slideshow starts at just over 18 minutes into the video.

-- 

JMcA

A Quick Look around Campus -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Other Spring Sports Get Underway

Basketball has been the primary focus since the fall sports ended, but there are a few other spring sports that have gotten going and deserve their attention as well.

Track and Field are underway at the Gene Edmonds Invitational this weekend hosted by Purdue. The event wraps today, but already Louisville has seen positive results. The Cards hold the top spot in both the 60m and the 60m hurdles going into today's finals with Brooke Raglin and Kayla Alexander, respectively, winning those prelims. Freshman Briana Washington came third in the triple jump final. Finally, Makenli Forrest and Halee Hudson finished first and second in the weight throw. Events continue today.

Swimming and Diving went up to Evanston, Illinois earlier this week where they took care of Northwestern, who had been ranked 25th in both men's and women's polls. The Cards swept the meet, winning on both the men's and women's side and winning a total of 12 events along the way. Going into detail on the results would take quite some time, but be sure to check out the results page on Louisville's site to see how your favorite aquatic Cards did.

Softball is inside of a month until they'll head down to Clearwater, Florida to play five games in three days to open their season. The first week of practice is this week and the GoCards site has been doing player profiles of the freshmen recently. Coach Holly Aprile will be looking to improve in her second season and should have the talent on this team to do it.

Tennis' time in Hawai'i hasn't been quite as perfect as you would hope, as they had play suspended due to poor weather Thursday evening. The Cards were scheduled to continue the event at 4PM ET Friday with the delayed Thursday matchups being played first. Those results have not become available due to the time difference. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is back today at 11AM. We're trying another location as we get used to the new format and today's show will be live at the normal time. As always, the show will be available for rebroadcast on Youtube following the end of the recording, and we are still working on getting it pushed to podcast feeds. Be sure to check out this week's Cardinal Couple Radio Hour live here or check out the Cardinal Couple Youtube Channel at anytime at this link.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

WBB Cards Crush Canes 87-41 -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Hear the Saturday Cardinal Couple podcast at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GoJ5n8xf8&feature=youtu.be at 11 a.m. Saturday ! 


EARLY START, DEFENSE MAKES MIAMI MISERABLE IN 46 POINT WIN

The contest between Louisville WBB and Miami (FL) didn't get underway until 8 p.m. last night....the second half of a ACC Network doubleheader. 

One could say Miami never showed up at all, as UofL roared out to a 9-0 lead, kept Miami from making a basket for the first 13 minutes of the action and had no trouble with the Hurricanes in a demolishing 87-41 romp. 

The moon over Miami shone brightly on at least one squad last night, the Cards shot 55.6% from the floor (a season high), committed just 11 turnovers and owned the points-in-the paint 44-14 (it was 22-0 in paint-scoring by half-time)...as Miami felt the effects of having preseason ACC POY Beatrice Mompremier on the bench nursing a injured foot. 

Louisville (or shall we say Kylee Shook) roared out of the gate and it was Kylee 7 - Miami 0 after 3 1/2 minutes. Taking advantage of the shorter Canes line-up with Mompremere and freshman forward Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba (ankle injury) confined to just watching, Louisville was attacking the basket and controlling the boards.

Miami got their first point on a free throw with 4:25 left in the first quarter and only managed three more points the rest of the period (all free throws). After Shook sizzling start, Jaz, Ya-Ya, Liz and Dana all found ways to get involved offensively and the defense held the Canes to 0-14 shooting. 

15-4 at the end of the first and Miami was falling victim to the Cards domination on both ends of the court. 

Ya-Ya took over the scoring duties early in the second session with five straight points and the Cards blew out on a 7-0 run before Miami managed to get one through the net with 7:41 until half-time. Dana took over scoring after that with five straight points and the Cards cruised on to take a 37-16 halftime lead. Louisville went 15-29 from the floor in the first twenty minutes. They won the second quarter 22-12.

Miami offered just 3-26 shooting (11.5%) and three Cardinals (Shook, Diop and Evans) had nine points each. By then, Walz had gone deep in the lineup, with Robinson, Dixon, Diop and Konno all seeing significant action and the only real question was how much the Cards would win by. 

Shook started the third quarter with a three (her only of the game) and a 8-2  Cardinal run had pushed the score to 44-18 UofL.  Bionca Dunham was playing a whale of a game that the stats weren't showing and she got into the scoring action with two straight buckets to make it 48-24 with six minutes left in the third. Shook picked up the final of her 14 points on the night on a fast break layup to set the tally at 53-26. Diop's jumper made it 61-28 and the quarter ended 61-30 Louisville. The Cards had outscored Miami 24-14 in the third and the Canes launched nine three-pointers in those ten minutes, making just two. 

After Jaz started the final period with two straight buckets and Louisville had amassed a 67-32 lead, the rest of the way featured Jess Laemmle, Lindsey Duvall, Norika Konno, Molly Lockhart and Liz Dixon getting valuable minutes. The scoring didn't stop...Duvall knocked back two threes, Konno contributed seven of her nine points in the quarter and Dixon was facilitating the reserve's efforts with strong defense and rebounding. It was a 26-11 quarter for the visitors from Derby City, Dixon's free throw with 30 seconds left topped off the 87-41 win. 

This was a huge win on the road. Louisville shut down Mykea Gray, who many thought might pick up the scoring slack with "Bea" on the bench, to just three points and 0-6 floor shooting. The Cards were led by Evans' 16 points (6 for 7 from the charity stripe). Three more in double figures with Diop's 15 (a career high at Louisville), Kylee's 14 and Jaz went 5-9 from the floor to finish with 10 points.

Freshman Brianna Jackson (I know what you're thinking and, no, the former Bull and Cardinal hasn't found four more years of eligibility) drew the start in Mompremier's absence and led Miami with 13 points.

Kasa Robinson showed that she's starting to "get it" last night. A wonderful all-around effort with a team-high seven assists, four-points, three steals and five rebounds in 16 minutes. She's been spending extra time in the gym and it shows. 

All tongue-wagging aside (but a great cameo from Jaz after the game), Louisville kept the drama out of the contest by taking control early and increasing the lead. No "Cardiac Cards" last night. Instead, a "Consistent Cards" squad conquered Coral Gables. 


THE FRED REPORT

The late, great Fred Wiche would have been
proud of the way UofL planted the Canes. 

FREE THROWS -- The Cards got 12 chances at the foul line and made ten of them for 83.3%. Dana's 6-7 led the way, no one else attempted more than two. CAPITAL "F" earned for the accurate marksmanship when no one is guarding you. 

REBOUNDS -- The Cards were chairwomen of the board, out-grabbing the Canes 49-33. No one in double figures but Louisville held Miami to a lot of  "one shot and done" efforts and just 11 second chance points on the night. All 12 Cards who saw action had at least one, Kylee's eight led the way and we see no problem with awarding the CAPTIAL "R" here. 

EFFORT/EXECUTION -- Looking down the roster, no one had a rough night for the Cards. Just 11 turnovers, 44 point-in-the paint, a 16-4 edge in fast break points, 43 bench points and 25 assists on 3 made baskets. A definite CAPITAL "E" for the way they played. 

DEFENSE -- Maybe Louisville's best defensive effort on the season. Miami was 13-64 (20.3%) from the floor, the Cards got seven steals and six blocked shots and made the Canes work hard for any positive offensive efforts. Miami went 4-27 from three-point range the Cards shutdown starters Banks, Gray, Marshall (1-20 from the floor). No doubt about the award here, a CAPITAL "D" closes out the FRED report. 

FINAL FRED TALLY:  F-R-E-D 


SO...

Canes fans must have been busy bowling.
Less than 1000 showed up last night. 

Walz wanted a fast start to this one and improved defense and rebounding. He hit the trifecta last night. In blowouts like this, where no starter saw more than 26 minutes, one looks at bench production and the reserves saw 113 of the 200 minutes available.  

Let there be no doubt, this Miami team really missed Mompremier, but...they managed to give FSU all they wanted in a 73-62 loss without her in the game before. No one volunteered for the "next one up" role in her absence. And, Louisville followed Walz's game plan, albeit...he prepared the team expecting her to play. The Cards rebounded, played defense, shot well and held the foe to under 50 points. 

When you do those type of things, you're going to win. Mission accomplished and, now a return to Louisville...where a surprisingly good Wake Forest squad (10-5 and 3-1 in ACC play) comes in for a sunday 2 p.m. game. 

The Cards, now 15-1 and atop the ACC with a 4-0 record (after NC State stumbled to UNC 66-60) havd their destiny totally in their hands. A lot of ACC games to go, sure, but one game at a time is the Louisville WBB philosophy and with seven straight wins now, it appears to be the right course to travel. 


paulie
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