It's the ACC WBB Tournament final most predicted and expected to see today, when the Cards and Wolfpack square off at noon.
For the Cards, it has to be considered "payback" time for the loss earlier in the regular season. In the last meeting, on Feb 1st, then # 1 Louisville suffered its first loss of the season, losing to #4 NC State 74-60 inside the KFC Yum! Center. A 16-3 Wolfpack run to start the fourth quarter made it 65-47 with just over four minutes to go. Louisville responded with a 7-0 run of their own to pull within 65-54 and then Kianna Smith hit a 3-pointer to pull the Cardinals within nine at 69-60 with 1:23 remaining. Louisville would not get any closer. Dana Evans equaled her career-high with 29 points, 19 of which came in the second half. She finished 10-22 from the floor and 5-8 from 3-point range.
NC State got a big game yesterday out of "Big Smile" Elissa Cunane yesterday with 23 points and they needed it. In their 66-61 win over Georgia Tech, they trailed 48-43 after three quarters and were down 53-43 with 8:51 to go before putting a 23-13 fourth-quarter effort up against the Yellow Jackets and sending them home.
Cunane will be a problem to handle for the Cards and she's got plenty of complementary teammates to step up if the Cards shut her down, Kayla Jones, Kai Crutchfield and Jakia Brown-Turner all wnt for double figures yesterday and there's also Raina Perez and Jada Boyd on that roster who can punish opponents.
Jeff Walz stated that everyone had to play good today if the Cards were going to win. That's a pretty broad-based statement, but it has a lot of merit. The three-headed center contingent of Dixon, Cochran and Parker will need to contain Cunane. Dana Evans MUST step up today and turn in a ACC Player of the Year performance. Hailey Van Lith could be an integral factor for a Cards win if she can stay on her tournament hot streak. Kianna Smith needs to be on the mark with her shooting and Kasa Robinson's defense and recent shooting success needs to show up today.
Norika Konno had a clutch performance with a career high 10 points against Syracuse yesterday and we'll see if Walz calls on her for extended minutes today. "E" Balogun has the skills and length to create havoc when she's on the court and is capable of putting up points with her shot selection. Walz has the depth that NC State does not have, the question is how advantageous will that depth factor be against a NCST squad that has five starters that regularly go 30+ minutes for Wes Moore?
I see f keys to a Cardinal win today:
1) Rebounding HAS to improve from the first meeting, where NCST held a 44-29 advantage.
2) Louisville needs to get to the free throw line more often than they have in their first two ACC Tournament games. Getting Cunane and Jones in foul trouble could pay big dividends. Cochran needs to stop being foul prone early. I know, a lot of this depends on how the refs call it today.
3) Stay strong in the fourth quarter. NCST looked a major upset in the eye yesterday in the fourth quarter and just shut Georgia Tech down. The Cards MUST stay active, consistent and productive in the final ten minutes. Dana taking over would be nice, but, can she today?
4) Control the tempo. Louisville would be best served by controlling the pace and flow of the game against NCST today, but that will be a challenge with the way Cunane can take games over. I think you have to "rough her up" a bit with the three centers, maybe go Dixon and Cochran together on the court for extended period and make NCST turn elsewhere.
This one airs on ESPN 2 today at noon and you can always hear the call on Cards Radio 790 AM WKRD with Nick and AJ.
I love to see the "mute" button used on Muffet McGraw today over on the ACC Network, during the pre, half and post game chatter -- she's anti-UOFL ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING and I don't see how her presence adds anything to the three other very good analysts the network uses to provide thoughts.
--sonja--
For the Cards, it has to be considered "payback" time for the loss earlier in the regular season. In the last meeting, on Feb 1st, then # 1 Louisville suffered its first loss of the season, losing to #4 NC State 74-60 inside the KFC Yum! Center. A 16-3 Wolfpack run to start the fourth quarter made it 65-47 with just over four minutes to go. Louisville responded with a 7-0 run of their own to pull within 65-54 and then Kianna Smith hit a 3-pointer to pull the Cardinals within nine at 69-60 with 1:23 remaining. Louisville would not get any closer. Dana Evans equaled her career-high with 29 points, 19 of which came in the second half. She finished 10-22 from the floor and 5-8 from 3-point range.
NC State got a big game yesterday out of "Big Smile" Elissa Cunane yesterday with 23 points and they needed it. In their 66-61 win over Georgia Tech, they trailed 48-43 after three quarters and were down 53-43 with 8:51 to go before putting a 23-13 fourth-quarter effort up against the Yellow Jackets and sending them home.
Cunane will be a problem to handle for the Cards and she's got plenty of complementary teammates to step up if the Cards shut her down, Kayla Jones, Kai Crutchfield and Jakia Brown-Turner all wnt for double figures yesterday and there's also Raina Perez and Jada Boyd on that roster who can punish opponents.
Jeff Walz stated that everyone had to play good today if the Cards were going to win. That's a pretty broad-based statement, but it has a lot of merit. The three-headed center contingent of Dixon, Cochran and Parker will need to contain Cunane. Dana Evans MUST step up today and turn in a ACC Player of the Year performance. Hailey Van Lith could be an integral factor for a Cards win if she can stay on her tournament hot streak. Kianna Smith needs to be on the mark with her shooting and Kasa Robinson's defense and recent shooting success needs to show up today.
Norika Konno had a clutch performance with a career high 10 points against Syracuse yesterday and we'll see if Walz calls on her for extended minutes today. "E" Balogun has the skills and length to create havoc when she's on the court and is capable of putting up points with her shot selection. Walz has the depth that NC State does not have, the question is how advantageous will that depth factor be against a NCST squad that has five starters that regularly go 30+ minutes for Wes Moore?
I see f keys to a Cardinal win today:
1) Rebounding HAS to improve from the first meeting, where NCST held a 44-29 advantage.
2) Louisville needs to get to the free throw line more often than they have in their first two ACC Tournament games. Getting Cunane and Jones in foul trouble could pay big dividends. Cochran needs to stop being foul prone early. I know, a lot of this depends on how the refs call it today.
3) Stay strong in the fourth quarter. NCST looked a major upset in the eye yesterday in the fourth quarter and just shut Georgia Tech down. The Cards MUST stay active, consistent and productive in the final ten minutes. Dana taking over would be nice, but, can she today?
4) Control the tempo. Louisville would be best served by controlling the pace and flow of the game against NCST today, but that will be a challenge with the way Cunane can take games over. I think you have to "rough her up" a bit with the three centers, maybe go Dixon and Cochran together on the court for extended period and make NCST turn elsewhere.
This one airs on ESPN 2 today at noon and you can always hear the call on Cards Radio 790 AM WKRD with Nick and AJ.
I love to see the "mute" button used on Muffet McGraw today over on the ACC Network, during the pre, half and post game chatter -- she's anti-UOFL ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING and I don't see how her presence adds anything to the three other very good analysts the network uses to provide thoughts.
--sonja--
