By Benjamin Lampkin
Chicago, Ill- The University of Louisville women’s basketball team out-scored, out-defended, and out-played the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half of Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup in the Conference USA Tournament.
Then came the second half, in which freshman Debbie Merrill and sophomore Valerie King scored a combined 35 points to lead the Bearcats to an 80-70 comeback victory.
The Cardinals shot 56.7% in the opening half, with seniors Kara Kessans and Marju Sober scoring 12 apiece. The Bearcats were forced into 39% shooting and committed six turnovers, as the Cards held a 45-36 halftime advantage.
“They really took it to us and stunned us for a minute,” said Cincinnati head coach Laurie Pirtle. “They were extremely well-prepared.”
The Bearcats opened the second half with a 21-12 run that tied the score for the first time since early in the game. They then took the lead for good at 61-59 with a pair of free throws by Merrill, who finished with a game-high 31 points on 10-14 shooting. The 6-3 center also connected on 11-12 free throws.
The Cardinals shot themselves in the foot in the second half, shooting only 25% from the floor and committing 10 turnovers. They also allowed the Bearcats to shoot 62%, and were unable to stop Merrill or King.
“The little things we did the other night and in the first half, we didn’t do in the second half,” said U of L head coach Martin Clapp. “Just bad decisions both player and coach wise.”
Kessans and Sober each finished with 16 points, but the two connected on just 2-14 shots from the floor in the second half. King had 26 points for Cincinnati, as the Bearcats now face Houston in the semi-finals on Sunday.
