By Dalton Ray–
Current record: 14-3 (10-1 at home, 4-1 away, 1-0 neutral)
Team Stats: 78.7 points per game, 61 points allowed per game, 44.9 percent field goal percentage, 32.4 percent 3-point percentage, 42.8 rebounds, 9.4 steals, 3.9 blocks and +5.6 turnover margin
Stat Leaders: Points per game- Asia Durr (18.2), assists- Briahanna Jackson (4.7), rebounds- Myisha Hines-Allen (9.3), steals- Jackson (1.7) and blocks- Ciera Johnson (1.2)
Starting the year off at 6-0, women’s basketball faced three straight ranked opponents. Over a stretch of seven days, U of L faced third-ranked South Carolina, fifth-ranked Maryland and No. 17 Kentucky. The Cards dropped back-to-back games against two of the nation’s top teams in South Carolina and Maryland.
USC blasted Louisville by 24 in the only game the Cardinals failed to score at least 60 points. Against Maryland, U of L’s late comeback fell just short. The Terps used defense and free throws to seal the road victory.
Jeff Walz’s team avoided the three-game skid by edging out rival UK in overtime. A late surge by Durr carried the Cardinals to their first victory over Kentucky in five years.
The win over the Wildcats started a seven-game winning streak. Over that span, U of L won by an average score of 26 points. The Cardinals scored at least 78 points in five of those occasions, only allowing 65 points or more twice.
An explosive second-half effort awarded Louisville with their second win over a top 25 team against No. 25 Syracuse. A tough, two-game road trip followed.
Against No. 13 Duke, Louisville led after three quarters but failed to preserve the lead in the final 10 minutes. Against Virginia, U of L responded from a slow first half to eek out the overtime win.
Trailing 38-25 at the break, the Cardinals forced overtime lead by Hines-Allen. The junior ended with season highs with 31 points and 17 rebounds.
It’s simple to tell that this team is led by Hines-Allen, Durr and Mariya Moore. The three are the only Cardinals that score in double-digits and account for over half of U of L’s 78.7 points per game. Each member of Walz’s three-headed monster plays an important role.
Hines-Allen is the dynamic forward that bullies opposing players in the post and can drive to the rim. Durr is the electrifying scorer that can score 25 on any given night. Moore is the crafty, do-it-all player that has great vision and scoring ability.
The difference between wins and losses for Louisville is what the remaining players do. The other two starters are Jackson and Cortnee Walton play their role within the team. The two don’t take up too many shot opportunities, they’re unselfish with the ball and play high energy defense.
Bench scoring has been spotty and led by several players. Kylee Shook is the leading scorer off the bench, with 6.8 points a game. Shook, Jazmine Jones, Taylor Johnson, Syndey Zambrotta and Sam Fuehring have led the bench in scoring throughout their first 18 games.
In Louisville’s blowout loss to South Carolina, the bench scored 25 points, one of the highest marks on the year. In the next two losses, the bench combined for six and four points. While it’s great to have three of the top players in a conference on one team, they can’t do it by themsleves.
If Louisville is to have deep tournament success, the bench will have to carry their weight.
Photo by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal
