There was anticipation and a few questions about the much-heralded and expected return of Kianna Smith to the Louisville playing rotation as the Cards prepared to play DePaul in the Jimmy V Classic at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Those questions got answered emphatically and positively as Kianna entered the game at the 7:59 mark and unloaded 11 first quarter points on DePaul in the Cads 116-75 win. All told, Kianna played 22 minutes and ended with a co-team high 21 points. She also had six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and just one turnover in the Cards blowout win.
She was just one of many Cards who found the fast-paced, run-and-gun style of last night's game to their liking. Hailey Van Lith contributed 21 points in 25 minutes, fellow freshman Olivia Cochran posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Dana Evans filled the bucket up with 20 points. Liz Dixon completed the double-figure scoring Cards with an impressive 6-6 shooting and 12 points in just nine minutes. The accolades could go on and on...this was, by far, the best Louisville WBB effort of the season and a complete and total domination of a top-20 program.
DePaul tried early.
They were able to stay within six of the Cards at 30-24 after 10 minutes but their "go to" -- the three-point shot -- was not connecting. Meanwhile, Jeff Walz kept sending wave after wave of fresh players into the contest to run, run, run the Blue Demons into the ground. A 31-13 second quarter. The Cards began the second session with a 10-2 run and had this one comfortably in hand with a 61-37 half-time lead.
The only real question remaining was when the Cards would break the century mark and they answered that with 24 seconds left in the third quarter when Cochran took a Smith feed and put in the century-busting basket. The Cards would go on to score the most points in a game in Louisville women's basketball history with the 116-75 final.
Some notables:
-- Louisville shot 60.5% for the contest (49-81). Of particular interest was the trio of freshmen (Van Lith, Cochran and Russell) going 16-21 for the contest.
-- The Cardinal defense shut down DePaul three-point attack, holding the foe to 4-27 accuracy from the deep (14.8%). On the other hand, the Cards went 6-16 from three-point land and all six came from Kianna Smith and Hailey Van Lith.
-- My unsung hero of the game is Norika Konno. She had three blocks in 16 minutes, played lock-down defense and grabbed five rebounds. She looked happy and geared-in out on the hardwood.
-- My M.O.P. of the game is a toughie. I'll go with Kianna Smith. I expected a lot from the red-shirt junior, had heard about the epic battles between her and Jaz last year in practice, but this start had me completely slack-jawed. More, please.
-- Favorite moment? Most of the third quarter, when the Cards out-scored DePaul 40-17, but I'll go with Dana determinedly blowing by the Blue Demons twice late in the third quarter for layups. It was a 40-point lead at the time and Dana was playing like the Cards were down by two with a minute to go. A lapse, a sense of complacency after half-time? Nope, don't think so.
Louisville returns home to face UT-Martin on Sunday at (note the time change) noon. The Sky Hawks are picked to win the OVC and it's the return of Seygan Robins to the YUM!
The ACC Network allegedly has the broadcast for this one, I'm a traditionalist and still like to turn the sound down on the tube and hear my buddies Nick and AJ call it on the radio.
--sonja--
Those questions got answered emphatically and positively as Kianna entered the game at the 7:59 mark and unloaded 11 first quarter points on DePaul in the Cads 116-75 win. All told, Kianna played 22 minutes and ended with a co-team high 21 points. She also had six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and just one turnover in the Cards blowout win.
She was just one of many Cards who found the fast-paced, run-and-gun style of last night's game to their liking. Hailey Van Lith contributed 21 points in 25 minutes, fellow freshman Olivia Cochran posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Dana Evans filled the bucket up with 20 points. Liz Dixon completed the double-figure scoring Cards with an impressive 6-6 shooting and 12 points in just nine minutes. The accolades could go on and on...this was, by far, the best Louisville WBB effort of the season and a complete and total domination of a top-20 program.
DePaul tried early.
They were able to stay within six of the Cards at 30-24 after 10 minutes but their "go to" -- the three-point shot -- was not connecting. Meanwhile, Jeff Walz kept sending wave after wave of fresh players into the contest to run, run, run the Blue Demons into the ground. A 31-13 second quarter. The Cards began the second session with a 10-2 run and had this one comfortably in hand with a 61-37 half-time lead.
The only real question remaining was when the Cards would break the century mark and they answered that with 24 seconds left in the third quarter when Cochran took a Smith feed and put in the century-busting basket. The Cards would go on to score the most points in a game in Louisville women's basketball history with the 116-75 final.
Some notables:
-- Louisville shot 60.5% for the contest (49-81). Of particular interest was the trio of freshmen (Van Lith, Cochran and Russell) going 16-21 for the contest.
-- The Cardinal defense shut down DePaul three-point attack, holding the foe to 4-27 accuracy from the deep (14.8%). On the other hand, the Cards went 6-16 from three-point land and all six came from Kianna Smith and Hailey Van Lith.
-- My unsung hero of the game is Norika Konno. She had three blocks in 16 minutes, played lock-down defense and grabbed five rebounds. She looked happy and geared-in out on the hardwood.
-- My M.O.P. of the game is a toughie. I'll go with Kianna Smith. I expected a lot from the red-shirt junior, had heard about the epic battles between her and Jaz last year in practice, but this start had me completely slack-jawed. More, please.
-- Favorite moment? Most of the third quarter, when the Cards out-scored DePaul 40-17, but I'll go with Dana determinedly blowing by the Blue Demons twice late in the third quarter for layups. It was a 40-point lead at the time and Dana was playing like the Cards were down by two with a minute to go. A lapse, a sense of complacency after half-time? Nope, don't think so.
Louisville returns home to face UT-Martin on Sunday at (note the time change) noon. The Sky Hawks are picked to win the OVC and it's the return of Seygan Robins to the YUM!
The ACC Network allegedly has the broadcast for this one, I'm a traditionalist and still like to turn the sound down on the tube and hear my buddies Nick and AJ call it on the radio.
--sonja--
