Pregame Notes:
The Cards look to start 4-0 as they take on UT-Martin Skyhawks. Coach Walz and Louisville are coming off a 116-75 drumming of the 20th-ranked DePaul Blue Demons. The Cards welcome back a familiar face in former Louisville player Seygan Robins. UofL leads the all-time series 9-0.
Starting Lineup:
Dana Evans (18.3ppg, 6.6apg)
Hailey Van Lith (18ppg, 7.7rpg)
Ahlana Smith (7ppg, 2.7rpg)
Elizabeth Balogun (5.3ppg, 5rpg, 3.3bpg)
Olivia Cochran (17ppg, 7.7rpg)
1st Quarter:
The Cards start off a bit slow as the Skyhawks got off to an early 5-2 lead. UofL struggles to get anything going, as the Skyhawks were determined to get the ball in the paint on every possession. The Cards got the shots they wanted, but failed to connect and shot just 21.1% in the quarter, as they took a 15-14 lead into the second quarter.
2nd Quarter:
The Skyhawks take the lead early on in the 2nd, with a Seygan Robins backdoor basket. The offense for both teams gets going as they begin to trade 3s early in the second. Louisville goes on a 9-0 run to end the quarter. The Cards take a 40-27 lead into the half.
Halftime Stats At A Glance:
13-37 (35.1%) FG
3-13 (25%) 3PT
11-15 (73%) FT
26-22 Rebounds
5 Assists
5 Turnovers
Dana Evans 16 points
3rd Quarter:
The Cards and Dana Evans started off the quarter quickly and eventually opened up a 17-point lead. The Skyhawks answer with a 7-0 run of their own. Cards led 64-48 after three quarters.
4th Quarter:
Cards continue to pour it on and show the talent on their bench as the lead ballooned to 20 points. Fouls continued to pile up on the Cards, but the bench players get plenty of clock. Cards win 85-67.
Final Stats:
29-69 (42%) FG
7-23 (30.4%) 3PT
20-29 (69%) FT
43-35 Rebounds
12-3 Offensive Rebounds
12 Assists
9 Turnovers
9 Steals
36 Bench Points
40 Points In The Paint
12-2 Second Chance Points
Cards allowed the Skyhawks to shoot 21-51 (41.2%) from the field, but held the Skyhawks to 7-20 (35%) from beyond the arc.
Louisville was led in scoring by senior guard Dana Evans with 26 points. Olivia Cochran again led the team in rebounds with 10 and fellow freshman Hailey Van Lith chipped in with 7 boards.
The Cards take on Duke in Durham, NC on Wednesday at 7 pm.
