SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:
-Reviewing Seton Hall win
-Watson reviews the game (sort of)...
-Softball shuts out Wright St.
-One week left to vote for Steve
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Asia Taylor, pictured here, drives for two while Sherrone Vails and Seton Hall's Whitney Wood mix it up in some sort of tantric yoga exercise...
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(Photo from Charlie Springer, UofL Card Game)
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Louisville didn't have one of their better outings against the Pirates...but once again...defense helped the Cards notch their 19th win of the season. The Cards allowed six Pirate points in the first four minutes and then held them to just 43 in the final 36 minutes of the game. Seton Hall shot 9 for 27 in each half...a 18-54 outing at 33%. The Cards went 23-54 against S.H.U. (42.6%). Free throws were another area that both teams missed opportunities at...Seton Hall 8-15 (53.3%) and Louisville 9-17 (52.9%). It should be noted that the referees really went to the whistle in the second half...against the Cards...four fouls in the first twenty minutes and 12 in the final twenty. Seton Hall committed 12 first half infractions but only eight in the 2nd half.
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Leading the Cards in scoring was Monique Reid with 16. Keisha Hines aded 12, Becky Burke 10 and Asia Taylor nine. Sherrone Vails tossed in five, Tia Gibbs with four and Polly Harrington knocked down a 3 pointer for her three points. Shoni Schimmel, Shelby Harper, Antonita Slaughter, Charmaine Tay and Rachel Story also played but had no points. Seton Hall's Jazzmine Johnson led all scores with 19 points and Tajay Ashmeade hit double figures with 11.
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Louisville won the rebounding battle 39-35 with Hines grabbing 10. Burke and Reid had five each, Vails added four, Taylor and Schimmel three, Slaughter and Story two each and Harper and Harrington had a grab. Seton Hall got a yeoman effort from 6'3" Ashmeade on the misses...ending with 15 rebounds and a double double.
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Louisville's freshmen combined for eight points and ten rebounds. This was the first time this season Schimmel had been shut out for a game. The playing time was evenly distributed by Walz Saturday...the Cards had nine players see 13 or more minutes...Burke getting 26. The Cards scored 30 points in the paints...Seton Hall 22. Louisville won the points off turnovers battle 23-15 and second chance points 19-8. The Cardinal bench was worth 18 points...Seton Hall's 17.
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9875 witnessed the win where Louisville improved to 19-10, 10-5. The Cards finish with 162,892 attending 15 games in the KFC YUM Center...tops in the BIG EAST in average (10,930) and total. Connecticut could catch Louisville in total with one home game remaining Monday night at the Gampel Pavillion.
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Coach Walz revealed in the post game presser that the diminished playing time for Charmaine Tay lately was not from an injury...but because she is dealing with some off-court issues and effectually is in the 'doghouse' until she gets them straighted out. We saw Walz do this earlier in the season with Asia Taylor and although we do not know the circumstances involved in this issue...we can only conjecture that Tay will be back in the regular mix once she completes her issues to Walz's approval. Tay did see brief action yesterday in a mop up role...maybe the worst is over for her. Gotta play by all the rules...on court and off...and pay the price if you don't.
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Louisville said goodbye to Hines, LaToya Johnson and Laura Terry in pregame ceremonies. The three will be missed and their hard work and contributions were monumental in the success of this Cardinal team.
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Louisville's men play Pitt in a big hoop-de-do down at the YUM today and the press row was basically cut in half yesterday by technicians working on setting up for the nationally televised game. Crowded and cozy conditions for the members of the working media...WE'RE not ones to ever complain...but...they needed 24 hours before the game to get all this together? And, the guys didn't seem too very busy during a certain two hour stretch yesterday...WE weren't in our normal viewing area next to Professor Abramson but got to spend two fun hours next to UofL Card Game owner and 'observer' Charlie Springer.
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It was Charlie who commented on the noticable weight loss on a couple of UofL assistant coaches. While we'd never call trusted Jeff Walz assistants fat...it is obvious that there has been some pounds shed and we encourage their efforts and results. Hey, if Paul can drop 35...anyone can...keep going, girls!
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DAVID WATSON was in the stands for the Seton Hall game with his youngest daughter and files this report...(We like the fact that David is in town for two days...and is taking us out to eat Sunday Night.)
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It was a good day for being in downtown Louisville yesterday. The pizza at Impelliezeri's post game is always top notch and the weather conductive to strolling down 4th Street Live after. The action in the KFC YUM Center was less than perfect but it goes to show what I've been saying for the last couple weeks...Seton Hall isn't the push-over patsy that most people consider them to be. Anne Donovan has made big strides coaching this young team ( 1 senior, 7 freshmen and sophomores) this season and will continue to do so. Watching Anne on the sidelines (she's hard to miss at 6'8") is a lesson in coaching. She is on top of each and every play, rotating between shouting out assignment and switches to her players, keeping a rolling and lively dialogue going with any officials within earshot and talking to her assistants. Anne, like Jeff Walz, doesn't spend much time sitting down.
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Her players are hustling, aggressive competitors that may have skill sets a bit behind the cream of the league but won't get out-worked. Give her a couple of years and the battle for women's college basketball supremacy in Jersey might just tighten up a bit.
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As for the Cards yesterday, I can't say much positive except for the play of Hines, Taylor and Reid. I'll miss Keisha Hines. She was usually overlooked when people pointed out the strengths of Louisville teams. She was her usual pound it out and refuse to back off Keisha again yesterday and it's the Keisha we've come to know and respect. Asia Taylor seems to wake up each year at the end of the season. Her effort yesterday is what Cardinal fans have expected all season. Maybe Walz could put her on a intramural team on campus that starts in August. By December, she'd be in top form and a year long contributor. Monique Reid just shines when she wants to and she decided to after a slow start yesterday. Put the determination and hustle of a Shelby Harper in that skillful Reid body and you'd have another Maya Moore.
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As much fun as yesterday was, I must admit that Sunday is going to be a bigger blast for my daughter and I. The seats for the Pitt game aren't nearly as good but the atmosphere in the KFC YUM! Center when it's full and the opponent is top notch is like nowhere else in college hoops. It'll be only our second men's game this year and I can't wait!
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David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE and can also sing over a dozen MONKEES songs in Japanese...
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The University of Louisville softball team notched their third straight shutout of an opponent yesterday at Ulmer Stadium...white-washing Wright State 8-0 in the Red & Black Tournament. Tori Collins went the distance and allowed just two hits while striking out eight...improving her record to 5-3 on the season.
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Louisville began the rout early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alicja Wolny's single drove home Jordan Trimble. Chelsea Bemis and Wolny scored when Maggie Ruckenbrod delivered a two RBI single. The Cards tacked on another run in the second when Chelsea Jordan walked, stole second and greeted her teammates in the dugout on a fielding error.
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The Cards ran it up to 7-0 in the fourth inning. Katie Keller drew a walk and Jennifer Esteban and Trimble followed with singles. Keller and Esteban scored on a throwing error and Trimble joined them with a run scored on another Raider throwing miscue. The Cards closed out the scoring in the fifth when Katelyn Mann reached first on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a fielder's choice from Christina Roesel and got third on a wild pitch. Mann scored on yet another throwing error from Wright State to make it 8-0.
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Louisville concludes action in the Red and Black with games against Miami (OH) at 2 p.m and Wright State at 4 p.m.
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.Steve Springer is hanging tough in the race for Biggest Fan contest in the BIG EAST and we appreciate all of you that have gone over to vote for him at:
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http://www.uoflcardgame.com/
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We've never met Steve but think the world of him and his dad...Card Game guru Charlie Springer. Steve is a remarkable person...a high school teacher that someone manages to be the sole bread provider for a family of six. His daughter Mackenzie was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis last April and his wife Casey had to put her college aspirations on hold to be the primary caretaker to the wheelchair bound eight year old. Please take time to read this heart-touching and inspirational story at http://uoflcardgame.com/biggest-fan-of-the-big-east-experience-3/23424 and continue to vote for Steve daily.
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We owe a lot to Charlie Springer for many reasons. He got us actively involved in his web site http://www.uoflcardgame.com/ as contributing writers and heartily encouraged us to go forward full speed ahead when we were debating whether to start Cardinal Couple or not. Anytime we need sound counsel, a photo or just dialogue and friendship...Charlie and his wife Barbara have been there for us. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and Steve is a brilliant writer and dedicated young man. Please help Steve win this portion of the contest and repost, comment, Twitter and spread the word about Steve and his family's amazing journey.
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