– by Harry Barsan
The Louisville Cardinals host the Morehead State Eagles Nov. 21. After suffering a loss to rival Kentucky, the Cardinals look to use this game to get their footing right.
The Morehead State Eagles are 1-3 on the year. Their three losses were all by double-digits, including an 18-point home-loss against Lipscomb.
Their sole victory came at home against Division-3 Asbury University, whom Morehead only beat by 12.
Two-man game
The Eagles average a slight 60.5 per game, well below the Division-1 average. Additionally, their defense is not much better, giving up 71.2 points per game. However, the Eagles do have a few key players to look out for.
Their top two options spearhead the offense with a combined 31 points a game, those being guards Kate Novik and Aileen Marquez.
Standing at just 5’9″, Novik doesn’t just lead the team with 16.8 PPG, she also leads the team in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. It’s very clear that containing her will be essential to this game.
Marquez will also be quite an annoyance on offense. Averaging roughly 14 points a game, she leads the team with a 51.6% from the field. She’s a threat from deep too, as she’s currently shooting 40.9% from three.
Outside of these two players, there’s not much for the Cards to be concerned about. If Louisville takes playing defense seriously while prioritizing the two standout players, they should shut down the Eagles offense no problem.
Up-and-up, but…
Morehead is in year four of their head coach, Cayla Petree. Petree has improved the Eagles’ record every year, and has done so with defense.
Led by Novik’s 4.3 steals per game, which is 5th in D-1, the Eagles are ranked 33rd in turnovers forced per game with 23.8. The Cards, already a team with turnover woes, gave the ball up 19 times against Kentucky. A handsy Eagle backcourt coupled with an occasionally flimsy Cardinal offense could lead to some serious troubles in the turnover battle.
The Eagles are also a shockingly good team at defending the paint. Morehead averages seven blocks a game, which is tied for fifth in the country. This is in spite of how short their team is on average. Morehead only has two players taller than 6’1″, with one of them being a bench player.
The lack of height, however, makes the Eagles a poor rebounding team. They have been outrebounded both offensively and defensively against every D-1 opponent this year. On the flipside, Louisville’s plus-2.8 rebound margin is above average, and should be key in controlling possession this game.
While the Cardinals let the last game slip away from them, there are a few key things they need to fix. Their problems with shooting efficiency still linger, and they were out-rebounded last game by double-digits.
Nevertheless, I believe the Cardinals will shine Thursday night, and they should get better looks against a defense shoddier than they have yet to see this season. On both sides of the ball, the Cardinals simply outmatch the Eagles.
However, while Louisville will win this game running away, this will still remain a test and an opportunity to improve.
Still, the Cardinals look poised and prepared for a get-right game.
Photo Courtesy // Rachel Klotz, Louisville Athletics
