Pregame Notes:
Good afternoon Card Nation, and congratulations to the UofL volleyball team as they head to their 2nd consecutive Final Four. Today though, is about the Battle of the Bluegrass. The UofL women’s basketball team make the hour drive up 64 East to take on the Wildcats of the blue school. For the first time in a long time, Louisville is coming into this game unranked and doesn’t have the better record. The 6-4 Cardinals are coming off a 105-32 victory over SIUE in a game which saw Hailey Van Lith go over the 1,000 points scored in her career at UofL. She’s the 15th player to surpass that mark in Coach Walz’s time at Louisville. Louisville trails the all-time series 22-34, but the Cards have won the last 5 games.
Starters:
Chrislyn Carr
Hailey Van Lith
Morgan Jones
Olivia Cochran
Liz Dixon
1st Quarter:
A Liz Dixon layup gave the Cards a 2-0 lead. The Louisville defense looked really good to start the game. They were communicating and moving as one. On offense, Louisville took advantage of their size in the paint on both ends of the floor and made life difficult for the blue school as Louisville opened up a 10-point lead. The wildcats hit a late corner 3 to cut the Cards lead to 7 (21-14) into the 2nd quarter.
2nd Quarter:
An HVL pull-up jumper got the scoring started for the Cards in the quarter. Louisville used an 8-0 run to open up 15-point lead, forcing a timeout by uk. Louisville continued to exploit their advantage in the paint, but more importantly they continued to take care of the ball. After having 3 turnovers in the first quarter, Louisville had 4 turnovers in the quarter that resulted in 4 points for uk. UofL opened up their biggest lead of the game heading into intermission, 42-25.
Halftime Stats:
Field Goal %: 16-33 (48.5%)
3PT Field Goal %: 1-11 (9.1%)
Free Throws: 9-10 (90%)
Total Rebounds: 24 (8 offensive)
Turnovers: 7
Leading Scorer: Liz Dixon (10)
3rd Quarter:
Louisville came out of the break with all intentions of busting this game wide open as they opened up a 54-32 lead. The Cards, however, couldn’t extend the lead any further because they went cold from the floor. The cold shooting combined with poor execution on the offensive end allowed uk to cut the lead to 12. A last second shot by Chrislyn Carr gave the Cards a 61-47 heading into the final quarter.
4th Quarter:
Louisville continued to get contributions from different players as HVL and Carr struggled from the field. Louisville turned the ball over 4 times in the quarter, as their lead was cut to as low as 11 a couple of times. Louisville scored 13 of their 25 points from the free throw line in the quarter. The Cards made a few crucial stops to halt any momentum and they leave Lexington with a 84-72 victory.
Final Stats:
Field Goal %: 26-59 (44.1%)
3PT Field Goal %: 1-15 (6.7%)
Free Throws: 33-39 (84.6%)
Total Rebounds: 44 (18 offensive)
Assists: 14
Steals: 4
Blocks: 8
Bench Points: 22
Turnovers: 16
Leading Scorer: Hailey Van Lith (21)
Post Game Notes:
Louisville improves to 7-4 on the season and extends their winning streak to 6 games over the school in Lexington. The Cards started off the game by punishing the opposing team in the paint and on the glass. Louisville continued that trend throughout the game to open up a 22-point lead. UofL was led in scoring by HVL with 21 points. She added 5 rebounds and 4 assists as well. Olivia Cochran led the team with 9 rebounds. She also chipped in with 9 points. Morgan Jones added 12 points and 8 rebounds. Liz Dixon was huge for the Cards, as she finished with 16 points and 3 rebounds (all offensive). The Cards did a much better job at taking care of the ball this game. uk forces over 21 turnovers a game, but Louisville only had 16. UofL struggled mightily from beyond the arc, as they went 1-15. The defensive effort and communication has gotten a lot better since their loss to Middle Tennessee.
Next Opponent:
The Cards hit the road, but stay in the city as they take on Bellarmine Wednesday, December 14th at 6:30pm.
Coach Kenny .. Have your team watch these ladies play the way you are supposed to.