Pregame Notes:
Good evening Card Nation. Your 10th-ranked Louisville Cardinals took on the 12th-ranked Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge tonight. Louisville is currently 5-1, while Michigan is coming in undefeated at 7-0 on the season. Louisville is 4-1 all-time versus Michigan and 4-2 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Starting Lineup:
Chelsie Hall (5.7ppg, 2.6apg, 4rpg)
Hailey Van Lith (9.3ppg, 3.3rpg)
Emily Engstler (8.2rpg, 9.7ppg )
Kianna Smith (10.2ppg, 3rpg)
Olivia Cochran (5.8ppg, 4.7rpg)
1st Quarter:
Chelsie Hall broke the scoring seal for Louisville with a terrific mid-range pull-up, after multiple screens by Engstler. Louisville had 4 turnovers in their first 6 possessions. The Cards trailed 7-2 early, but a quick 5-0 run by the Cards tied the game at 7 by the first media timeout. UofL turned up the defensive intensity and went on a 13-2 run over a 6 minute stretch and led 15-9 after the first quarter.
2nd Quarter:
Both teams had 5 turnovers each at the end of the first quarter, but Louisville didn’t need Hailey Van Lith at all in the 2nd quarter to extend their lead. The Cards pressured and frustrated Michigan with defense for the entire 10 minutes. For the second consecutive quarter, Louisville held Michigan to under 10 points and took a 39-15 lead into the intermission. Emily Engstler had 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals at the half.
Halftime Stats At A Glance:
FG%: 17-31 (54.8%)
3PT%: 4-9 (44.4%)
FT%: 1-2 (50.0%)
Assists: 7
Turnovers: 11
Total Rebounds: 22-10
Leading Scorer: Kianna Smith (14)
3rd Quarter:
Cochran got the scoring started for Louisville in the second half. The Louisville offense and defense didn’t look as sharp or intense as it did in the first half, however. The Wolverines more than doubled their offensive output from the first half in the quarter, while outscoring the Cards 19-17. The Cards led 56-34 heading into the final quarter.
4th Quarter:
Konno was a real bright spot for Louisville in the fourth, with the game being in hand. Louisville played their starters well into the final quarter. Louisville won easily 70-48.
Final Stats:
FG% 29-64 (45.3%)
3PT% 9-20 (45.0%)
FT% 3-5 (60.0%)
Assists: 13
Blocks: 3
Steals: 15
Turnovers: 19
Total Rebounds: 39-26
Offensive Rebounds: 15-6
Bench Points: 16
Post Game Notes and Leaders:
Louisville’s defense really put the clamps on Michigan in the second quarter and the Wolverines were never able to break free and make it much of a game. The Cards had 3 players in double-digits scoring, led by Emily Engstler (18) and followed closely by Kianna Smith (17). Engstler also led the team in rebounds with 14.
Next Opponent:
Louisville takes on Belmont on December 5th at noon at KFC YUM! Center.
