By Sam Draut–
The three players who have carried Louisville through ACC play led the Cardinals to their 18th win in 19 games. Mariya Moore, Myisha Hines-Allen and Asia Durr, Louisville’s three leading scorers in conference play, all scored in double-figures as the eleventh-ranked Cardinals defeated Virginia 74-59.
Moore scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half and made two 3-pointers in the first period. She added six rebounds and five assists. The sophomore paced the Cardinal offense from the start, making two midrange jumpers in the first three minutes.
“I’m told to shot when I’m open,” Moore said. “They’re running so much at me lately I have been working on my pull-up jumper.”
While Moore owned the first half, Hines-Allen dominated the final 20 minutes. The sophomore forward registered her ninth career double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Hines-Allen played 11 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble and scored three points, but found her rhythm in the second half.
“When Mariya is doing her thing, it is a lot easier for everyone else to get their shots because the defense is focused on her,” Hines-Allen said. “I was the open person and I was hitting.”
As Louisville’s two sophomores split the scoring duties in each half, freshman Asia Durr scored 15 points and made 6 of 7 field goal attempts.
Louisville made 64.3-percent of its shots in the fourth quarter and pulled way in the final five minutes. Briahanna Jackson scored five points in the final ten minutes and finished with 11 points and four assists.
