Reviewing the win over UC

Sunday at CARDINAL COUPLE ( in HD!)


-Breaking down the UC win.


-Review of the Raatz Classic


-Swimming sinks UK.



Pictured above with the brains of the family, his honor the Professor reviews statistics of the UofL vs. Cincinnati game. Professor Jer finds these useful during referee baiting and when castigating the striped participants. Madeline gets in a brief cat nap...Jerry has a bag packed and nearby in case of an academic emergency.

The 31-2 run that the Cards administered to UC yesterday in the KFC YUM Center is the largest and longest domination Louisville has had over an opponent this season. Cincy's Kayla Cook sank a 3 pointer with 15:30 to go in the first half to tie the game at 6-6. Louisville responded with the next 13 points. Cook managed a jumper with 11:06 remaining to make it 19-8. Louisville answered with 18 straight and led 37-8 with 1:17 left in the first half. Over 14 minutes...two opponent points scored. Not too shabby, neighbor.

The question arose after the contest concerning the issue of changing your style of play when faced with an inferior opponent like UC. Do you 'let up'?. Both Becky Burke and Jeff Walz say "no". Burke pointed out to the media in the post game press conference that Louisville was in the same boat last year against several BIG EAST foes and no one took the foot off the accelerator against them. Walz concurred, stating that it is Louisville's goal to keep improving each and every game...and to alter or change your style of play just because you are playing well would be detrimental to your original goal. Walz did call off the press in the second half. Jamelle Elliott, UC's coach, will eventually build a great squad at Cincinnati. It's just going to take a few recruiting classes. In the meantime, you weather the bumps and bruises you encounter during the fight to improve. UC could very easily pull an upset or two in their remaining BIG EAST schedule but with DePaul, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Georgetown the next four in line...there could be some more bumps ahead. Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova after that could be a possible three game UC win streak. The Bearcats are a rough and tumble bunch...ask Keisha Hines or Shoni Schimmel.

Louisville shot 54.4% against the Bearcats, including a torrid 18-29 (62.1%) in the final twenty minutes. They held UC to 17-55 shooting (30.9%) for the game, punishing the Bearcats into 4-27 marksmanship in the first twenty minutes (14.8%). Louisville got three threes each from Burke, Shoni Schimmel and Antonita Slaughter. Rachel Story added one to give the Cards 43.5% from long range (10-23). The Bearcats went 7-29 (24.1%) past the stripe...Cook making 3-7, Shareese Ulis 2-10 and Bjonee Reaves 2-5.

We like Asia Taylor continued improvement in the paint for Walz's bunch. The Columbus, Ohio sophomore turned in 17 minutes of solid interior play for the Cards yesterday with six rebounds and lockdown defense against UC's Jeanise Randolph and Tiffany Turner. She also made the only shot she attempted. Marquette, Louisville's next opponent on Wednesday in Milwaukee, gets solid paint play from Angel Robinson and Sarina Simmons. Taylor's effectiveness could be a key factor if the Cards are to win this mid-week matchup...

The Cardinal freshmen accounted for 38 Cardinal points and 11 of Louisville's 36 rebounds. They distributed 16 of Louisville's 20 assists and committed only three of the Lady Cards nine turnovers. All twelve available for action played at least seven minutes...no Cardinal played more than 25 minutes Saturday. Louisville dominated in points in the paint (36-16), points off turnovers (30-6) and 2nd chance points (12-7). Louisville had seven fast break points to UC's 0 and the Cardinal bench outscored UC's thin one 36-10.

Jeff Walz admittedly doesn't pay a lot of attention to rankings...but his Cardinals are 36th. in the NCAA RPi rankings and 35th at CollegeRPI.com. The BIG EAST has nine schools in the top 50.

We got a chance to sit with and talk to UofL womens' golf coach Kelly "Coach K" Rothberg during the first half of the basketball game. Coach "K" is excited about her returning team and we're promised a great interview with her down the road about this year's squad. Rothberg was one of the Cardinal womens' coaches in attendance yesterday to honor UofL benefactor Owsley Frazier at halftime for his many contributions to womens' sports at Louisville. Maybe she and Kim Pemberton can hook Paul up with a golf cart for one of the home matches and he can do a live report. Then again, he loves the Caddyshack, Tin Cup and Happy Gilmore movies...they might be best served leaving him in the clubhouse.

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Exciting action yesterday in the Raatz Classic at Mercy Academy for several high school girls teams. Manual rolled out to a quick start to defeat Marion County 56-45 in the nightcap, getting 16 points from forward Mechael Guess and eight each from Leasia Wright and April Wilson. The Crimsons led 14-9 after one, 32-24 at halftime and 46-29 after three before holding off a late Marion County run to win by 11. Future UofL target Makayla Epps led all scorers with 18 points and but Manual held Kyvin Goodin Rogers and Bre Elder to just 6 each. Marion County returns to Louisville Friday to take part in the Louisville Invitational Tournament at Bellarmine.

Mercy handled Owensboro Catholic 71-41, getting balanced scoring from all eleven Jaguar players that hit the floor. UK lean Rebecca Greenwell had 24 for Owensboro in the loss.

Lexington Bryan Station improved to 16-2 with a 55-36 win over Ballard. Ballard led at half 23-19 but could manage only 13 second half points. Bryan Station played only five players in the contest...four of them in double figures. Marissa Prince nailed three 3 pointers for the winners.

This may have been the most exciting of yesterday's games...Bullitt East broke open a close contest by outscoring Lexington Catholic 14-7 in the final quarter to win 40-34. After a Octavia Wilson three pulled Lex Cath to within two at 36-34 with a minute to go, Lindey Young sank four free throws down the stretch to secure the Mt.Washington school's win.

Sacred Heart used a fourth quarter rally to uphend Perry County Central 53-30. The Valkyries trailed Central 38-35 after three but used a 4th quarter 16-4 opening spurt to gain control and held on late to win. Sacred Heart (14-3) got 21 points and 11 boards from Morgan Clemons and Annamarie Campbell contributed 10 points and eleven grabs.

Butler overcame a slow start to vanquish Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame 54-36. Aaeron Smith (15 points, six boards), Megan Cureton (13 points, six boards) and MacKenzie Martinez (11 points) led the way for the #9 Bearettes (16-2). Butler outscored C.M.N.D. 27-12 in the final half.

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UofL's women's swimming squad swamped UK 186-114 yesterday in Lexington. BIG EAST Swimmer of the Week Raine Thompson won in the 100 and 200 butterfly and Therese Bergstrom captured the 100 and 200 breast stroke. It was a Cardinal sweep...the men won 186-115...
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