By Derek DeBurger
No. 18 Louisville will face off against the Pittsburgh Panthers for the second time this season.
The last time these two teams met, Louisville routed the Panthers in a 30-point victory that wasn’t necessarily a complete game by the Cards. The majority of the 30-point margin of victory came in the second half; Louisville only held a seven-point lead at the end of the first. If Louisville can play a more complete game for a full four quarters, the margin of victory could easily top 30.
Pitt is night and day at home compared to on the road, so it might be easier for Louisville to play a complete game this time at the Yum.
As far as strategy, the Cards don’t need to veer too far from what they did in Pittsburgh—drawing fouls on Panthers star Liatu King, then focusing their defensive efforts toward making the lives of ball handlers miserable. During the Jan. 11 game, King only scored six points in 27 minutes—both stats well below her season averages—due to four fouls that limited her aggressiveness and time on the court.
The rest of the Panthers team had just as rough a go, committing 24 turnovers and shooting 36.4% from the field.
I don’t see a likely scenario where the Cards drop Sunday’s game. It’s not impossible, it’s just highly improbable. Sure, anything can happen, however, I fully expect Louisville to advance to 18-3 on the year and 7-1 in the ACC.
Photo Courtesy // Taris Smith, Louisville Athletics
