Major bragging rights are on the line this evening as the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals battle the No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the coveted top spot in women’s basketball.
Last Time Out:
The Louisville Cardinals faced the Duke Blue Devils at Duke on January 6. The Cardinals came out strong in its ACC road opener defeating the Blue Devils, 73 – 51.
Arica Carter was on fire knocking down 7-of-10 three pointers and racking up 23 points.
Defensively, the Cardinals limited Duke to less than 15 points per quarter, while forcing 24 turnovers.
Battle of the Senior Guards:
Not only is this match up featuring the top two teams, but also a pair of Player of the Year hopefuls in Asia Durr and Arike Ogunbowale. Durr has been a sensation for the Cardinals throughout her career at Louisville.
Just a season ago, the guard was named ACC Player of the Year. Durr was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Lexington Regional, along with being named a finalist for the Citizen Naismith Trophy and John Wooden Award.
The senior is off to a hot start averaging 20.9 points per game, putting her at second in scoring in the ACC and 15 nationally.
On the flip side, Arike Ogunbowale is just as powerful of a presence on the court. The senior guard is averaging 22.1 points per game, while shooting 49% from the field.
Team Effort:
Louisville is offensively stacked with four players averaging double-figures and three more averaging above 5 points per game.
Pacing the Cardinals and averaging 20.9 points is senior guard Asia Durr. Senior Sam Fuehring is adding 10.7 points, while sophomore reserve Dana Evans is contributing 10.6. Senior Arica Carter rounds out Louisville’s double-figure scorers with 10.1 points per game.
Bianca Dunham, Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook are close behind averaging 8.1, 8.1 and 7.8 points respectively.
Evans ranks sixth in the ACC in assists with 59 on the season for a 4.2 average. The sophomore also comes in at fifth in Free Throw Percentage, while Durr falls at sixth.
Carter leads the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (.500) and comes in at fourth nationally.
Series History:
Last season, the Cardinals knocked out the Fighting Irish twice, including an 100 – 67 TKO at the KFC Yum! Center just a year ago. Louisville also downed Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament Final in a 74 – 72 decision.
Despite the dominance of Louisville in 2017 – 18, Notre Dame holds the series record (14 – 6).
The Cardinals look to change its luck in 2019 by winning its first game at Notre Dame in nearly a decade. Louisville’s last win in South Bend was on January 11, 2009.
Fast Facts:
Ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Poll, the Louisville Cardinals reached its highest ranking in program history. Louisville is seeking its first win against a No. 1 team since beating Baylor in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Game Information:
The Cardinals and the Fighting Irish tip-off at 7PM on ESPN.
