Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- USF visits Lady Cards tonight

.

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

(Game report...Louisville loses to USF 73-62. Cards down by two at half after a horrible start, but could get no closer. Jenny will have the full report in the Thursday Edition of CARDINAL COUPLE)


-South Florida 'Bulls' their way into KFC YUM! Center

(Quentin Voigt with the pregame look at Louisville WBB opponent tonight -- the South Florida Bulls.  Paulie follows with some garbled non-sequiters and nebulous rambling.)

Layin' a "Bullish" beat down

The South Florida Bulls (17-7, 6-5) are visiting the KFC YUM! Center on Wednesday, Feb 20th. at 7 p.m. with one thing on their mind. How do they manage four more points or allow Louisville four fewer points than were put up the last time they met. The score January 20th. in Tampa at the Sun Dome was 78-75 in favor of the Cards.

USF hit nearly half of their shots that night, including long range attempts, and 12 out of 13 freebies. When they went ahead by nine points in the second half, thanks to some timely scoring by freshman Alisa Jenkins, I'm sure their collective confidence began to soar. The tide seemed to be turning against the visiting Cardinals.

Coach Walz got a timeout. A 30-second variety..where he spoke animatedly to his squad. What he said, I can't tell you, but determination was what I read on those faces as they resume the frey.

The margin began to dissipate...seven points...down to four points...another two-pointer dropped in...then another. The score was finally tied. The intensity scaled upward, bodies were flying to the ball, trying to secure positions on the floor to block the progress of an opponent or take a charge. At the final buzzer, all of the Sun Dome crowd exhaled at once as they seemed to release the pent-up tension.

The players in the drama remain for the re-engagement. For the Bulls are twins Andrea and Andrell Smith. The 5'8" seniors average 16.3 and 14.5 ppg, 5.2 and 5.0 boards and are fast, lithe and athletic. Inga Orekhova, the 6'2" 'Soviet assassin' from Sevastopol in the Crimea, brings her special skill set and accuracy with the three-ball. Coach Jose Fernandez also brings a collection of role players...6'1" Jenkins, 5'8" Courtney Williams, 6'4" Akila McDonald and 6'4" Caitlin Rowe. All are good rebounders, good free-throws shooters and are quick on their feet.

Both teams have shown their mettle and their desire to win. Who will prevail?

At home, I think the Lady Cards do...and are good for an additional four points. Make it 79-72 UofL. Go Cards!

-Quentin Voigt


<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>><>

The thing that strikes me most about this deep, talented and aggressive USF is their record. Put this squad in any other conference in college basketball and they are already at 20+ wins and have only one or two conference losses. 

Yet, they toil in the BIG EAST and are part of the zombie apocalypse mid pack clawing at the top four above them...Louisville, Cuse, UConn and Notre Dame.

The Smiths are game-changers. The Russian Rocket Inga could stand on the Second Street Bridge and drain threes into the rims on Denny Crum Court. All mentioned above in Quentin's scout above are capable of throwing double-digits at an opponent.

They'll give the Cards a tussle tonight. Road wins in the BIG EAST are as difficult to find, though...as a honest politician on Capitol Hill...and the Cards prevail here.

If...

Bria Smith's new found, endless love with the free-throw line and driving the lane (and actually scoring) continues. You're a year older now, Bria dear...show some responsibility.

If...

If you look closely, you can see Sonja's head
where the "I" is on the Louisville table front.!

Sara Hammond's decision to become "Hammer...Queen of the Boards" continues. 13 grabs against DePaul is impressive. 12 grabs against the Bulls should get her an Oscar for Best Supporting Paint Player in a Conference Game.

If..

Der Schimmel can create an offensive attack similar to Patton's march through the Rhineland in WW II. Attack and score, Shoni. The fans love it when you do. I'll take a 50% shooting night anytime from the juggernaut junior.

(I don't ask for much, do I?)

Toss in a little Nita consistency...a few minutes of Vails paint presence...Mo going strong for 15 and the bench contributing....simmer slightly till ready and serve piping hot to 10,000+ patrons.

Cards by 13. More if Louisville can hit 70% or better from the stripe.

Need this one to keep pace with third-place Syracuse who defended their turf with a 58-45 win over hard-luck Rutgers last night. C-Viv still stuck on 899 career wins. Won't be any easier for her Saturday...going against St. John's in Queens, NY.

The Bulls won't make it easy. As of 2/16/13, they were the leading rebounding team in the BIG EAST with an average of 45.6 secures a game. They hold a +6.2 advantage over opponents in rebounds a game. Louisville needs a hot shooting night to limit the number of grabs available for USF.

Be the ball, Danny....be the ball...


-Paulie


--

Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Boogie with Bulls

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

GAME REPORT

Louisville breaks a 66-66 tie with back-to-back threes from Shoni Schimmel and Nita Slaughter and hangs on to win 78-75. Shoni with a career high 38 in the game and career high eight three-pointers. Jenny will have more on this "Cardiac" win later...

-Boogie With the Bulls tonight

(Quentin Voigt provides the scout on the University of Louisville women's basketball team's next opponent...a visit to Tampa and game against the South Florida Bulls.)

Wednesday, January 30th. 7 p.m. brings the next test for Jeff Walz's Lady Cards...a showdown in the Sun Dome in Tampa against Jose Fernandez's USF Bulls.

These Bulls are 14-5 on the season and 3-3 in BIG EAST play. Conference losses have come against Notre Dame in Tampa, a four point win by UND in overtime. USF has also fallen on the road to DePaul by 16 and at Villanova by three.

USF's Andrell Smith

Players to watch for USF included the Smith sisters Andrea and Andrell. Andrea averages 17.7 ppg and Andrell contributes 15.9 ppg. Inga Orekhova is good for 11.6 for the team and all three are deadly from long range. The front line features Caitlin Rowe and Akita MacDonald, both 6'4" and they and freshman Alisha Jenkins are the major rebounders for Fernandez's squad.

The Smiths and Rowe came from Gulf Coast Community College, where they won the National Junior Community College title in the 2009-10 season.

Last time out, USF handled Marquette 58-48 in the SunDome on Saturday. Freshman guard Courtney Williams had 10 points in the win and Jenkins grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Russian Rocket - Inga Orekhova

Like Louisville, when USF gets on a run, they're hard to handle. I look at this one as a very close contest and predict the Cards win by three.

-Quentin Voigt

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

USF is a dangerous, dangerous team. The Russian rocket Orekhova can bury you from deep. The Smith's are hard-nosed, aggressive ballers that can score from anywhere. Louisville trailed USF last year at halftime and was fortunate to go on a late run in the YUM! to win 63-57. Sheronne Vails and Cierra Warren combined for 24 points last year against them. Warren, of course...is gone. There's still an APB out on Vails, according to some, too.

UofL's Andrell Smith

Louisville is headed into an arena that holds 10,000 but has only managed to get an average of 1100 in for games. Wouldn't surprise us if that isn't doubled tonight...Louisville does have a sizable fan base in the area and opponents do love to come  out and cheer against the Cards when they come to town.

Just in case any football fans have wandered over here and are confused...the Andrell Smith USF guard and Andrell Smith UofL wide receiver aren't related. They're both excellent at their respective sports, though

How does Louisville pull off the win in hostile territory? Honestly, I don't think they do tonight. The Bulls came darn close to knocking off Notre Dame in the Sun Dome.

But, if they do win on the road, they'll need super efforts out of Bria and Shoni, along with a return of the Vails from last year and a strong Sara effort. We know we can count on Nita for a big game. I do hope it's a big enough effort to get the Cards a win. Really, I do.

I hate to say it, hope I'm dead wrong...but I'm calling "Bull" on this one. USF by 6. Prove me wrong, please.

You might be able to watch this one on BullsVision for a fee. It's unclear whether the video or just the audio is being offered over there. Sign up at the official USF sports site. We'll probably just give AJ and Matt a listen on WKJK 1080 or gocards.com.

I may switch over and give USF Bulls women's basketball play-by-play guy Alex Perlman a listen. He's one of the best young announcers in the business. Even if he attended Syracuse and looks like attorney Cary Agos on "The Good Wife". (Which has Sonja enamored with him...)

Coach Walz talks about stealing wins on the road in the BIG EAST. If the Cards can pull this heist off, the team's picture should be posted in all the post offices...because it will be the theft of the century. Let's hope Al Capone, John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson are sitting on the Cardinal bench. "Theft in Tampa". Let's hope so.

Jenny will be by to do the recap later tonight or tomorrow.

-Paulie
.
..
...

Softball sweeps Friday games at Pirate Clash

.
SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Louisville defeats Virginia, ECU in Greenville

-Which sisters are more popular?

-Women's swimming leads BIG EAST Championships...tennis falls at Akron

Katie Keller's double beats UVA.

The University of Louisville softball team won their Friday games in the East Carolina Pirate Clash. The Cardinals knocked off Virginia 2-1 in the opener and East Carolina later in the afternoon 5-0. The wins take Louisville to a 7-0 record.

In the first game, Katie Keller smashed a two out double in the bottom of the seventh to give the Cards the win. The Cards came to bat trailing 1-0 but freshman Kayla Soles tied it with her first career home run. After Trista Cox and Whitney Arion were retired by the Cavaliers, Kristin Austin singled and Jennifer Esteban drew a walk. Keller boomed a long shot to right field to score Austin and win the game.

The Cards struggled for most of the game against Cavalier pitcher Rachel Gillen, getting just four hits off her in six innings. For Louisville, Tori Collins pitched five innings of two hit, one run softball before giving way to Chelsea Leonard...who shut down the Cavs with no hits in two innings of relief. 

Torrid Tori Collins retired 12 Cavs in a row.

Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Marcy Bowdren led off the inning with a homer...spoiling Collins no-hit bid -- she had retired the first twelve batters she had faced and had eight strikeouts. After Kristen Hawkins singled following the base clearer, Pearsall inserted Leonard into the game and she stymied the Cavs the rest of the way.

In game two, Louisville and ECU played two scoreless innings before the Cards broke through with three runs in the top of the third. Singles from Hannah Kiyohara and Esteban with one out gave two baserunners for Austin and she tripled to left field, scoring both. Katie Keller plated Austin with a single. 

The Cards added another run in the fourth when Arion singled and scored on Kiyohara's fielder's choice. Louisville completed the scoring in the sixth when Soles singled, was lifted for pinch-runner Kirsten Stanley and Arion singled to bring home Stanley to  make it 4-0. 

Sophomore hurlers Chelsea Leonard and Caralisa Connell combined for seven innings of two-hit pitching...Connell toiling the final four innings and getting her second win of the season. 

Taner caught both games
Friday. Hey, batter,batter...
SWING!

The Cards had 11 hits in the ECU game and the pitchers combined to strike out eight Pirates. 

Taner Fowler filled in for injured Maggie Ruckenbrod behind the plate in both games and versatile Hannah Kiyohara covered first base for Alicja Wolny.

Louisville returns to the diamond this morning to face Hofstra at 9 a.m. and UNC-Greensboro at 11 a.m.

GO YOU SOFTBALL CARDS! 

********************************************

Are the Schimmel sisters the most popular sister duo in women's college basketball? We think so, although west coast residents may argue the case for Stanford's Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike. The Cardinals' girls vs. The Cardinal girls. The Stanford duo is a little more prolific in scoring than Shoni and Jude..but the UofL girls are younger. 

Andrell Smith
USF version.

Another duo we know of are Andrell and Andrea Smith for the USF Bulls. These high scoring sisters will have a final season together next year -- Andrea having to sit out this year because of a knee injury. 

Andrell Smith UofL
version.

Imagine all six of them on the same team...a radio broadcasters nightmare. Who do you get to coach them? WE'LL go with the famous pro football coaching brothers Jim (San Francisco) and John (Baltimore)Harbaugh. Assistants? How about Patty Coyle at Pittsburgh and her sister Mary Coyle Klinger at Rutgers Prep? 

Speaking of Jude -- Jenny (yes, she's still out there readers - just on a short hiatus.) sends this link about Jude. It's a very good read. 

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7584730/jude-schimmel-perfectly-comfortable-role-little-sis-louisville-cardinals


And, the 2012 Winter-Spring issue of University of Louisville Magazine has an excellent article on Shoni and Jude as the cover story. Link is:

http://louisville.epubxp.com/title/11139

And, the women's BB mock selection for the Tournament is out. Link is:

http://womenshoopsblog.thehrr.com/2012/02/s-curve-womens-ncaa-mock-selection.html

WE like the Louisville seeding (14th in the nation) but hope that the region doesn't develop the way that the mock selection has it bracketed. They stuck Louisville in with Notre Dame, Kentucky, Texas A&M, St. John and Arkansas. Messy!



(Thanks to Mark Schneider for the detective work on the links...)



*********************************************

Finally, the University of Louisville's women's swimming and diving team stretched out their lead in the BIG EAST Championships in Pittsburgh, while the men hold steady in second place. Winners for the women on Day 3 were Tanja Kyllainen (400 IM) and Eszter Povazay (100 backstroke) Louisville has 539.5 points, followed by Notre Dame with 403.5 and WVU is in third with 357.

Women's tennis lost a close one on the road to Akron yesterday...falling 4-3. The Zips swept the doubles competition - Louisville's Sarah Miller, Rebecca Shine and Gabrielle Duncan won in singles matches.

.
..
...