If you missed the first half of Louisville WBB's win over Michigan Thursday night, you missed prime time Cardinals hoops.
The Cards left no doubt after 20 minutes who the better team was and just how effective their defense could be. They shut down All- American candidate to four points, forced almost 20 first game turnovers and made the Wolverines look like an eighth grade rec team instead of #9 in the nation.
Yes, UM did hold a 7-2 lead early. That lead was not to last past the first quarter media time out. Behind solid defense and the shooting/scoring prowess of Emily Engstler and Kianna Smith, the Cards went on a 13-0 run and held the visitors to four second quarter points. If the Wolverines had elected to remain in the locker time at the half and watch other ACC/BIG10 matchups on- line, few could have blamed them.
But, they came back out and took advantage of the Cards apparent " put. It in neutral and coast," effort and wholesale Walz substitutions to actually win the third quarter by two points.
It was far too little, too late.
Postgame Emily Engstler revealed she was having fun playing basketball again (and got a hug from Kianna Smith). We may never fully know what kind of living hell former Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman put the Orange thru in his last several years at the 'Cuse, but a happy, enthused EE is a dangerous weapon to have in your arsenal.
Kudos, too, to Norika Konno, who put on a one woman scoring spree late in the game. Another example of wanting the minutes, showing how grateful you are to have them and how your skills have progressed.
Defense, spot-on passing and the return of Hailey Van Lith's three point shooting made this a fun one. I'm not sure how the ESPN announcers portrayed it, but I saw a "taking to the woodshed whipping" of a previously undefeated Power 5 team.
Yeah, that worked.
--sonja--
The Cards left no doubt after 20 minutes who the better team was and just how effective their defense could be. They shut down All- American candidate to four points, forced almost 20 first game turnovers and made the Wolverines look like an eighth grade rec team instead of #9 in the nation.
Yes, UM did hold a 7-2 lead early. That lead was not to last past the first quarter media time out. Behind solid defense and the shooting/scoring prowess of Emily Engstler and Kianna Smith, the Cards went on a 13-0 run and held the visitors to four second quarter points. If the Wolverines had elected to remain in the locker time at the half and watch other ACC/BIG10 matchups on- line, few could have blamed them.
But, they came back out and took advantage of the Cards apparent " put. It in neutral and coast," effort and wholesale Walz substitutions to actually win the third quarter by two points.
It was far too little, too late.
Postgame Emily Engstler revealed she was having fun playing basketball again (and got a hug from Kianna Smith). We may never fully know what kind of living hell former Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman put the Orange thru in his last several years at the 'Cuse, but a happy, enthused EE is a dangerous weapon to have in your arsenal.
Kudos, too, to Norika Konno, who put on a one woman scoring spree late in the game. Another example of wanting the minutes, showing how grateful you are to have them and how your skills have progressed.
Defense, spot-on passing and the return of Hailey Van Lith's three point shooting made this a fun one. I'm not sure how the ESPN announcers portrayed it, but I saw a "taking to the woodshed whipping" of a previously undefeated Power 5 team.
Yeah, that worked.
--sonja--
