By Daniel Rankin–
On Nov. 16, the No. 15 Louisville women’s basketball team won in a dominant 82-25 rout against the Bellarmine University Knights.
Senior Forward Emily Engstler was the standout player of the night with 12 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 4 steals. With the ability to score inside the paint and from the 3 point range, Engstler is a player that many Cards fans should keep an eye on this season.
“I was really pleased with how Emily played,” said head coach Jeff Walz during a post-game interview. “She pursued the ball, she rebounded the ball, she knocked down shots.”
In the first quarter, Engstler and senior guard Kianna Smith made a combined 18 points and pushed the Cards to an early lead. Finishing the quarter strong, Louisville went into the second quarter with a score of 28-10.
Junior guard Norika Konno started the second quarter with a three-pointer, and the game began to fall out of reach for the Knights. With a successful defensive press led by senior guard Mykasa Robinson, the Cards held the Knights to just 2 points in the second quarter. Up 48-14 at halftime, Louisville was in complete control of the game, including Engstler, who already recorded her first double-double of the season.
By the third quarter, Louisville added another 16 points to the board and secured their win by the fourth quarter after a stellar defense done by the Cards.
Although the Cards won comfortably, there were still some struggles, most notable being the lack of three-pointers and the 14 turnovers during the second half.
“We have to be smart enough to stop firing them up when they’re not going in,” said Walz. “They have to make that evaluation themself.”
Walz said the team needs to read each other on the court and know when to make a three-point shot or recover from a turnover.
The Louisville women’s basketball team will be back at the KFC Yum! Center Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. to take on the UT Martin Skyhawks.
Photo Courtesy of Taris Smith // U of L Athletics
