.

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Preview of Lady Cards WBB vs. Villanova

( Quentin Voigt sets us up for Sunday 2 p.m. game against the Wildcats -- no, not those Wildcats -- in Philly. For cheese-steaks, Rocky references and more...read below.)

Harry Perretta, head coach of the Villanova Wildcats women's basketball team for the past 35 years, achieved two milestones in 2011-12. He got his 600th. career victory and coached in his 1000th. career game. He's one of seven D1 coaches to win 600 games at one school and the seventh coach in D1 history to coach 1000 games at one school. Coach Perretta appears to be a very fundamentalist teacher of the game. His teams have led the nation on numerous occasions (including three of the past six years) in fewest turnovers committed per game. 

This year, they are once again demonstrating how they value possessions. They cough it up only 11 times a session. Harry will regularly play 9 individuals for 15+ minutes an outing. VU is sixth in the nation in scoring defense. They average 7.4 made three-pointers per game, while attempting 24.7.

Leading scorers consist of 6'2" senior Laura Sweeney at 13.2 ppg and 5'9" senior Rachel Roberts with 10.5 ppg. It seems like they've been at Nova since the turn of the century. 5'10" freshman Caroline Coyer gets 7.2 ppg --along with Laura Burford. Sweeney leads in boards grabbed at 6.8 a contest. Roberts hits 40% from three-point land and Burford 39%.

The Wildcats play their home games in the Pavilion with a capacity of 6500. The student section is right on top of the playing floor -- which you must experience to believe.

An awesome advantage if you use it. Sadly, the largest attendance this season has been 2939 for the Notre Dame visit. They average 991 a home game.

Excellently coached Villanova is 18-7, 7-5. A tough trip awaits the Cards. A lot at stake in conference positioning.

-Quentin Voigt

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Nova was pre-season ranked to finish 10th. in the Big East. The fact that they are jumbled up with DePaul, USF and Rutgers battling for sixth is impressive. Their pre-season schedule not so impressive as far as opponents went...a win over Temple and lost to Delaware the only games of consequence. In the BIG EAST, losses to Marquette and Providence are eyebrow-raising...but they have knocked off DePaul and USF....teams that have gone 1-1 with the Cards this year.

Sweeney will punish you inside if allowed to do so. Burford and Roberts bring the trey ball.

The Cards knocked them off last year in the YUM! Center 62-58, getting four players in double figures in a game that was knotted up 21-21 at half time. Louisville defeated them again in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament 63-47 after a 29-29 first half tie....Shoni getting 20 in the win.

Jeff Walz is 7-0 lifetime against Harry.

Which Cardinal team will make the trip to Philly? The fired-up bunch who pounded DePaul or the group that slept-walked through the USF contest? Only three games left in the regular season. Fourth place, a double bye in the BIG EAST Tournament...things obtainable for the Lady Cards if they take care of business.

TCB, ladies...

Paulie

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