Louisville WBB used the end to the third quarter to go on a 14-0 run and break open a tight, back-and-forth contest Friday afternoon in the KFC YUM! Center. The Cards found themselves on the short end of a 44-40 score midway through the third but shut out the Highland Heights visitors and go into the final quarter with a 54-44 lead. The teams dueled to an even fourth quarter and the Cards improved to 6-0 with the 74-64 win.
This one won't go down in the annals of Cardinal WBB history as one of their most impressive wins. The Cards showed the effects of a 23-day lay off, especially from three-point range, where UofL managed just 4 makes in 22 attempts. Coach Walz was frank about the first game since early December against Duke:
"Overall, it's going to take us a little bit of time. You don't take three weeks off and then just jump back into things....Northern Kentucky is a team I have a lot of respect for and (head coach) Cameron (Whitaker) does a great job."
Walz also pointed out that the Cards were #2 in the nation when they played the Norse last year up there and led by only two at halftime. There were no 23-day interludes last year, either, when the teams faced.
One of the players Coach Whitaker has done a great job with is former Card Lindsey Duvall. Duvall tied Louisville WBB guard Dana Evans for high point totals with 20. Duvall went 7 for 14 against the Cards and nailed three threes for the Norse. Evans was averaging 20 points a game and ended up with 20 points, including four threes. Evans stated slowly, though, going 1-8 for the first half, where the Cards struggled to a 31-29 lead.
If anything, this one was won inside by the Cards, thanks to the strong offensive efforts of Liz Dixon and Olivia Cochran. The duo both went 6-8 from the floor, Cochran ended up with 13 points and Dixon 12. It's so nice to see Liz make the "close-in" attempts! UofL also got a huge assist from Kianna Smith with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds).
LOUISVILLE WILL PROBABLY LOOK A LITTLE BETTER TOMORROW, when they face Bellarmine, so don't throw the baby out with the bath water yet or gnash your teeth in anguish. This season, especially these last three weeks -- has been a process unlike the Cards WBB program has ever faced before and Walz made sure everyone got ample time to see court time -- playing all 11 dressed for the game and getting scoring out of 10 of them. Nine Cards played over 11 minutes in this one. so the time distribution was there despite the close contest for 25 minutes.
They ran into an NKU team, on a four-game win-streak -- with a player in Duvall who knew the Cards system inside-out after playing in it for three years and the Norse weren't going to throw in the towel. The Cards were sloppy, disorganized and missing wide open shots early. Once the engine got running, Louisville looked smoother and finally reigned the crushing blow in a stretch where they look, actually, like a #2 team in the nation.
The thing about wins is that they're still worth just one win in the overall standings -- no matter if they're by 1 or 50 points. At least basketball is back for the Cardinal WBB student-athletes and that may have been the most exciting thing about today's game.
--sonja--
This one won't go down in the annals of Cardinal WBB history as one of their most impressive wins. The Cards showed the effects of a 23-day lay off, especially from three-point range, where UofL managed just 4 makes in 22 attempts. Coach Walz was frank about the first game since early December against Duke:
"Overall, it's going to take us a little bit of time. You don't take three weeks off and then just jump back into things....Northern Kentucky is a team I have a lot of respect for and (head coach) Cameron (Whitaker) does a great job."
Walz also pointed out that the Cards were #2 in the nation when they played the Norse last year up there and led by only two at halftime. There were no 23-day interludes last year, either, when the teams faced.
One of the players Coach Whitaker has done a great job with is former Card Lindsey Duvall. Duvall tied Louisville WBB guard Dana Evans for high point totals with 20. Duvall went 7 for 14 against the Cards and nailed three threes for the Norse. Evans was averaging 20 points a game and ended up with 20 points, including four threes. Evans stated slowly, though, going 1-8 for the first half, where the Cards struggled to a 31-29 lead.
If anything, this one was won inside by the Cards, thanks to the strong offensive efforts of Liz Dixon and Olivia Cochran. The duo both went 6-8 from the floor, Cochran ended up with 13 points and Dixon 12. It's so nice to see Liz make the "close-in" attempts! UofL also got a huge assist from Kianna Smith with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds).
LOUISVILLE WILL PROBABLY LOOK A LITTLE BETTER TOMORROW, when they face Bellarmine, so don't throw the baby out with the bath water yet or gnash your teeth in anguish. This season, especially these last three weeks -- has been a process unlike the Cards WBB program has ever faced before and Walz made sure everyone got ample time to see court time -- playing all 11 dressed for the game and getting scoring out of 10 of them. Nine Cards played over 11 minutes in this one. so the time distribution was there despite the close contest for 25 minutes.
They ran into an NKU team, on a four-game win-streak -- with a player in Duvall who knew the Cards system inside-out after playing in it for three years and the Norse weren't going to throw in the towel. The Cards were sloppy, disorganized and missing wide open shots early. Once the engine got running, Louisville looked smoother and finally reigned the crushing blow in a stretch where they look, actually, like a #2 team in the nation.
The thing about wins is that they're still worth just one win in the overall standings -- no matter if they're by 1 or 50 points. At least basketball is back for the Cardinal WBB student-athletes and that may have been the most exciting thing about today's game.
--sonja--
