Chelsie Hall had 15 points and Hailey Van Lith and Ahlana Smith added 13 points, as Louisville women's basketball went on a 11-4 game ending run and handed Kentucky their third loss of the season in the KFC YUM! Center Sunday afternoon.
#7 Louisville has hung their hat on defense all season and the Cards forced 21 UK turnovers to improve to 8-1.
The teams battled through a first quarter where UofL has a 8-6 lead after four minutes of play, but went on a 7-0 run to push that to 15-6 with 3:45 remaining in the quarter after Emily Engstler grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in. The Cats would cut that first quarter lead to 17-13 after a Rhyne Howard three, but Van Lith converted on two free throws with 37 seconds to end the first quarter scoring. The Cards were aided by forcing six Cats turnovers in the 10 minutes and putting up a 7-0 points-off turnover advantage.
Louisville pushedd the lead to 23-13 in the first two minutes of the second quarter after two Ahlana Smith buckets off turnovers, but UK would whittle the UofL lead to three at 25-22 after Robyn Benton sunk a three-pointer with 6:18 until halftime. Ahlana Smith's three put the Cards up 30-22, but. once again...UK fired back and cut the led to 30-28 after a Howard layup. UK took a 33-32 lead on a Howard free throw with 27 seconds to go and that's how the half ended...UK ending the half on a 11-2 scoring run.
Hall and Smith had half of Louisville's first half points and Engstler had six rebounds. UK was paced by 11 points from Benton. Fortunately for Louisville, UK went a futile 4-10 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes.. Kentucky had a 16-14 points in the paint edge, but Louisville had forced 12 Cat turnovers and scored 14 points off them -- while committing just six turnovers of their own.
the Cards came out with intense defensive pressure to bein the third quarter and held UK scoreless for almost the first seven minute of the quarter. Meanwhile, Kianna Smith nailed a three and a jumper in the paint and Olivia Cochran sunk a jumper to make it 39-34 Cards. Cochran, however, left the game at the 4:23 mark after receiving a blow to the head where no foul was called....and she would not return. UofL would push that led to 43-35 after Ahlana Smith's layup with two minutes remaining -- but the Cards would only record a free throw the rest of the quarter and UK had cut the lead to 44-39 after a Treasure Hunt layup. That's how the quarter ended -- Louisville outscored UK 12-6 in the third, UK shooting a horrific 1-13 in the third quarter. The Cards defense had turned the tide and Howard had been neutralized by it.
Louisville began the final quarter with a Hall free throw and was ahead 49-42 with 8:40 to play after an Engstler steal and layup. The Cats came back, though and went on a 7-0 scoring run over the next three minutes and tied the contest at 49-49 after two Hunt free throws. The Cards held a 53-50 lead after a Van Lith jumper, but UK scored two straight buckets and took the lead at 54-53 with 3:37 to go. Louisville got an Ahlana Smith block on a Benton layup up attempt, though, and Smith drove the court to put the Cards back up 55-54 with a layup. UofL would never trail again. Van Lith and A.Smith layups pushed the lead to 61-56 with 57 seconds to go. Hunt countered with a putback in the paint to cut the Cards lead to three, but UK fouled Hall twice and Hall made all four free throws in the final 17 seconds to secure the Cards win.
Louisville returns to action on Thursday when they welcome EKU to the KFC YUM! Center for an 8 p.m. start. UofL Volleybaal is scheduled to play Wisconsis in the NCAA Final Four in Columbus and Jeff Walz mentioned that he would see if the center could be opened an hour early and fans could come in and watch the VolleyCards on the overhead screens.
Walz post game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAr8zqJrxY
Ahlana Smith/Chelsie Hall post game:
--sonja--
#7 Louisville has hung their hat on defense all season and the Cards forced 21 UK turnovers to improve to 8-1.
The teams battled through a first quarter where UofL has a 8-6 lead after four minutes of play, but went on a 7-0 run to push that to 15-6 with 3:45 remaining in the quarter after Emily Engstler grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in. The Cats would cut that first quarter lead to 17-13 after a Rhyne Howard three, but Van Lith converted on two free throws with 37 seconds to end the first quarter scoring. The Cards were aided by forcing six Cats turnovers in the 10 minutes and putting up a 7-0 points-off turnover advantage.
Louisville pushedd the lead to 23-13 in the first two minutes of the second quarter after two Ahlana Smith buckets off turnovers, but UK would whittle the UofL lead to three at 25-22 after Robyn Benton sunk a three-pointer with 6:18 until halftime. Ahlana Smith's three put the Cards up 30-22, but. once again...UK fired back and cut the led to 30-28 after a Howard layup. UK took a 33-32 lead on a Howard free throw with 27 seconds to go and that's how the half ended...UK ending the half on a 11-2 scoring run.
Hall and Smith had half of Louisville's first half points and Engstler had six rebounds. UK was paced by 11 points from Benton. Fortunately for Louisville, UK went a futile 4-10 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes.. Kentucky had a 16-14 points in the paint edge, but Louisville had forced 12 Cat turnovers and scored 14 points off them -- while committing just six turnovers of their own.
the Cards came out with intense defensive pressure to bein the third quarter and held UK scoreless for almost the first seven minute of the quarter. Meanwhile, Kianna Smith nailed a three and a jumper in the paint and Olivia Cochran sunk a jumper to make it 39-34 Cards. Cochran, however, left the game at the 4:23 mark after receiving a blow to the head where no foul was called....and she would not return. UofL would push that led to 43-35 after Ahlana Smith's layup with two minutes remaining -- but the Cards would only record a free throw the rest of the quarter and UK had cut the lead to 44-39 after a Treasure Hunt layup. That's how the quarter ended -- Louisville outscored UK 12-6 in the third, UK shooting a horrific 1-13 in the third quarter. The Cards defense had turned the tide and Howard had been neutralized by it.
Louisville began the final quarter with a Hall free throw and was ahead 49-42 with 8:40 to play after an Engstler steal and layup. The Cats came back, though and went on a 7-0 scoring run over the next three minutes and tied the contest at 49-49 after two Hunt free throws. The Cards held a 53-50 lead after a Van Lith jumper, but UK scored two straight buckets and took the lead at 54-53 with 3:37 to go. Louisville got an Ahlana Smith block on a Benton layup up attempt, though, and Smith drove the court to put the Cards back up 55-54 with a layup. UofL would never trail again. Van Lith and A.Smith layups pushed the lead to 61-56 with 57 seconds to go. Hunt countered with a putback in the paint to cut the Cards lead to three, but UK fouled Hall twice and Hall made all four free throws in the final 17 seconds to secure the Cards win.
Louisville returns to action on Thursday when they welcome EKU to the KFC YUM! Center for an 8 p.m. start. UofL Volleybaal is scheduled to play Wisconsis in the NCAA Final Four in Columbus and Jeff Walz mentioned that he would see if the center could be opened an hour early and fans could come in and watch the VolleyCards on the overhead screens.
Walz post game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAr8zqJrxY
Ahlana Smith/Chelsie Hall post game:
--sonja--
