The #3 University of Louisville women's basketball squad is in Chapel Hill, NC today for a contest against the #23 UNC TarHeels tonight.
Louisville is 22-2 on the season and 13-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. They are on a seven-game winning streak, which is the longest streak in the ACC.
With the 73-47 win over No. 18 Notre Dame on Sunday, the Cardinals improved their record to 6-2 against Top 25 teams. Over the past five seasons, the Cardinals are 29-14 against AP Top 25 teams.
North Carolina enters Thursday’s matchup with a 19-5 overall record, 9-5 in ACC play. UNC started the season with a bang, winning their first 13 games but they are are 6-5 in their last 11. Good ol' ACC play... They are 11-1 at Carmichael Arena with their lone defeat, a 66-58 loss to NC State. The TarHeels built up a six-point lead against the Wolfpack in their second meeting by halftime, but NCST came back to 66-58. Their first meeting, in Raleigh, was a blowout win for the Wolfpack 72-45. UNC ranks second in the ACC with 74.3 points per game, while giving up 54.2 points per game, which ranks third.
North Carolina leads the ACC and ranks third in the country with a plus-20.2 scoring margin. They also lead the league and are fourth in the country with a 33.9 field goal percentage defense. Other notable numbers are being tops in the ACC in free throw attempts (483), free throw makes (343) and turnover margin (+6.0).
The Tar Heels feature four double-digit scorers. Deja Kelly averages 15.9 points per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC. Alyssa Ustby (13.1 ppg), Eva Hodgson (10.1 ppg) and Kennedy Todd-Williams (10.0 ppg) also average double figures. Kelly leads the conference with a 86.7 free throw percentage and ranks second with 91 made free throws. Ustby leads the ACC with 11 double-doubles, ranks third with 8.7 rebounds per game, and ranks sixth with 1.8 steals per game and a 45.7 field goal percentage.
They last met on Jan. 28th, 2021. Olivia Cochran scored 14 of her 17 points in the first half to lead top-ranked Louisville, and the Cards held on to beat North Carolina 79-68. The Cardinals made eight of their first 10 shots to take a 21-9 lead in less than six minutes and built a 67-35 lead late in the third quarter. UNC made things interesting with a 17-0 second-half run, though. They got it down to an eight-point deficit with 1:18 left, but they could not get any closer.
The Cards are 8-3 all-time against UNC and they have won eight straight games. All eight wins have taken place since the Cards joined the ACC. They are 3-0 in Chapel Hill.
Back to Bally Sports for this one, a 6 p.m. tip. I'll be tuning in for Nick Curran and Adrienne Johnson's call on Cards Radio 790 WKRD AM...having to work tonight, If you don't have Bally Sports Network, you're out of luck for viewing this one on TV. It will be blacked out on the ESPN app and website.
--sonja--
Louisville is 22-2 on the season and 13-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. They are on a seven-game winning streak, which is the longest streak in the ACC.
With the 73-47 win over No. 18 Notre Dame on Sunday, the Cardinals improved their record to 6-2 against Top 25 teams. Over the past five seasons, the Cardinals are 29-14 against AP Top 25 teams.
North Carolina enters Thursday’s matchup with a 19-5 overall record, 9-5 in ACC play. UNC started the season with a bang, winning their first 13 games but they are are 6-5 in their last 11. Good ol' ACC play... They are 11-1 at Carmichael Arena with their lone defeat, a 66-58 loss to NC State. The TarHeels built up a six-point lead against the Wolfpack in their second meeting by halftime, but NCST came back to 66-58. Their first meeting, in Raleigh, was a blowout win for the Wolfpack 72-45. UNC ranks second in the ACC with 74.3 points per game, while giving up 54.2 points per game, which ranks third.
North Carolina leads the ACC and ranks third in the country with a plus-20.2 scoring margin. They also lead the league and are fourth in the country with a 33.9 field goal percentage defense. Other notable numbers are being tops in the ACC in free throw attempts (483), free throw makes (343) and turnover margin (+6.0).
The Tar Heels feature four double-digit scorers. Deja Kelly averages 15.9 points per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC. Alyssa Ustby (13.1 ppg), Eva Hodgson (10.1 ppg) and Kennedy Todd-Williams (10.0 ppg) also average double figures. Kelly leads the conference with a 86.7 free throw percentage and ranks second with 91 made free throws. Ustby leads the ACC with 11 double-doubles, ranks third with 8.7 rebounds per game, and ranks sixth with 1.8 steals per game and a 45.7 field goal percentage.
They last met on Jan. 28th, 2021. Olivia Cochran scored 14 of her 17 points in the first half to lead top-ranked Louisville, and the Cards held on to beat North Carolina 79-68. The Cardinals made eight of their first 10 shots to take a 21-9 lead in less than six minutes and built a 67-35 lead late in the third quarter. UNC made things interesting with a 17-0 second-half run, though. They got it down to an eight-point deficit with 1:18 left, but they could not get any closer.
The Cards are 8-3 all-time against UNC and they have won eight straight games. All eight wins have taken place since the Cards joined the ACC. They are 3-0 in Chapel Hill.
Back to Bally Sports for this one, a 6 p.m. tip. I'll be tuning in for Nick Curran and Adrienne Johnson's call on Cards Radio 790 WKRD AM...having to work tonight, If you don't have Bally Sports Network, you're out of luck for viewing this one on TV. It will be blacked out on the ESPN app and website.
--sonja--
