Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Sara Hammond and Louisville WBB BIG EAST Schedule

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- For Sara Hammond...hard work and transition an everyday situation. 

- BIG EAST releases WBB Conference schedule today. See Louisville's full schedule HERE.

(WE continue our look at the 2012-13 Louisville WBB roster and today we feature sophomore forward Sara Hammond)

For Sara Hammond, it was a whirlwind of events in 2011 that eventually led to Louisville. Winning the state high school championship in Kentucky. Having a spot on the Parade All-American team. Playing in the McDonald's All-American Classic. The credentials that proceeded her arrival to the Belknap Campus were some of the most heralded in Cardinal women's basketball history. Then, reality sat it.

"The transition from high school to college was hard for me because I used to be the tallest and strongest in high school so I could use that to my advantage to score on offense and block shots on defense. When I got to college all the players were just as fast, just as strong and just as tall or better. So, the transition was a hard one."

A season of learning...both on the court and from the bench. Moments of spectacular play and moments of freshmen mistakes. But the hard work efforts never waned. A summer of conditioning, working on shooting, ball handling, passing and her all-around game. Being ready for whatever role her teammates and Coach Walz need from her this season. Wouldn't surprise us if she showed up in the YUM! Center with a lunch box and thermos...because she's a blue collar, hard-working, overtime laborer in Walz's Construction company. TCB. Whatever it takes.

She speaks of this team in glowing terms. 

(Photo by Charlie Springer - Card Game)

"Our strength is our depth and our work ethic. Because we are 3 deep at almost every position. Whenever one person gets a little tired and has to come out, another person can go right in and continue on without slowing us down. Everyone on this team is a hard worker and we're going to out work our opponents every time we step out onto the floor! Big things are to come this year for this team."

Team. Togetherness. It's what builds winners and champions. Hard work added...the ingredients are there for a wonderful season of Cardinal Women's Basketball and you can be assured that Sara will be right in the middle of it...giving her all and cheering her teammates along. We see Sara part of a powerful and experienced Cardinal front line that will give opponents fits on the boards, in the paint and around the rim. These Cards are on a mission, you know...

The mission? The Final Four.

SARA BY THE NUMBERS

2011-12

Games played   Started  Avg. Minutes  Rebs  Pts  Avg.
    
       32                 6             12.8          117   107  3.3 

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The BIG EAST released the women's basketball conference schedule today at noon...here's UofL's part of it:

Date            Opponent             Time              TV

Sat. 1/5       at DePaul              ----               BETV
Tues. 1/8    Rutgers                 7 p.m.           CBS SN
Sat. 1/12    at Providence        2 p.m.            ----
Tues. 1/15  at Connecticut      9 p.m.            CBS SN
Fri. 1/18     Cincinnati             7 p.m.            ----
Tues.1/22   at Marquette         9 p.m.            CBS SN
Sun. 1/27   St. John                1:30 p.m.       ESPNU
Wed. 1/30  at South Florida     ----                ----
Sat. 2/2      Georgetown          2 p.m.            ----
Sat. 2/9      Pittsburgh             2 p.m.            ----
Mon. 2/11   at Notre Dame      9 p.m.            ESPN2
Sun. 2/17   DePaul                  1:30 p.m.       ESPNU
Wed. 2/20  South Florida         7 p.m.            ----
Sun. 2/24   at Villanova           ----                 ----
Wed. 2/27  Seton Hall             7 p.m.             ----
Mon. 3/4    at Syracuse           9 p.m.             CBS SN

Looks like the Cards WBB squad has eight national TV appearances...five on the road and three in the KFC YUM! Center. 16 total games...four on Saturday, three on Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday, two on Monday and one on Friday. 

The home schedule features four games on either Saturday or Sunday, two on Wednesday and one each on Friday and Tuesday. 

We also have the complete UofL Schedule below:

31 games in all for the University of Louisville women's basketball team. For the third straight year in a row, all the UofL home games will be televised either locally or on the CBS or ESPN networks. 

A schedule that looks like it could give the Lady Cards some challenges early, especially with Texas A&M, Kentucky and three games in three days in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. 

Your thoughts, your comments? Leave us your take in the comments section or e-mail us at: 

cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

Cardinal Couple  (e-mail link)
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Rockcastle County down Manual in O.T. for title

SUNDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE

-Rockcastle Co. takes 2011 Kentucky Girls Basketball State Championship.

-Softball splits Saturday.

-McCarty, Abdullah in NCAA Championships.

Lacrosse vs. Jacksonville

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Sideline reporters contest.

Tough loss for Pitino's Cards.

Congratulations to Rockcastle County, winners of the 2011 Kentucky Girls Basketball High School title. They came from behind to down Louisville Manual 62-60. (Photo by Joe Imel, AP).

Senior point guard Angie Lawrence hit an off-balance runner down the lane with under two seconds left in overtime for the two point win. Rockcastle County had trailed by as many as nine in the third quarter. Lawrence finished with 18 points and All-American senior post Sara Hammond had 26 points and 11 boards against the Crimsons. Leasia Wright had 19 for Manual. It is the first state championship in history for Rockcastle County.

"She had that look in her eye, like she was ready to take over and win this thing...so we just got out of her way and let her go to work." Sara Hammond commenting on Lawrence's winning score.

They got there with a semifinal win over Calloway County 57-38 Saturday morning. Hammond had 15 points and 13 grabs for the Rockets and Lawrence 12 points. Manual made the finals by edging out Marion County 56-54 in the semis. Kyvin Goodin-Rogers totaled 20 and Makayla Epps 18 for Marion County in the close loss.

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Louisville split in two games yesterday at Ulmer Stadium in the Louisville Softball Classic. Michigan won the opener 4-1 and the Cards edged WKU 3-2 i the nightcap.

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Michigan used a three run top of the seventh inning to grab a 4-0 lead. The Cards were in a position to tie in the bottom half of the inning. After Chelsea Jordan scored to make it 4-1, the bases were loaded for Alicja Wolny but she grounded out to end the game. Tori Collins (7-4) took the loss for Louisville. Michigan goes to 24-0 with the win.

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The Cards grabbed an early lead against WKU in the second game and the teams battled back and forth before freshman Taner Fowler smashed a two RBI double in the sixth inning to put Louisville on top to stay 3-2. Carlisa Connell started on the strip and went 4 innings before Collins came in for the relief and the win. Freshmen Fowler and Katie Keller had two hits each for Louisville in the win.

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Louisville plays two more today...Michigan at 1 p.m. and WKU at 3 p.m. Looks like a beautiful day for it, get out and get some!

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D'Ana McCarty finished ninth in the finals of the women's shot put at Texas A&M in the NCAA Indoor National Championships. Khaldija Abdullah also competed but did qualify for the medal round.

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Louisville Lacrosse defeated Jacksonville 17-7 on the road yesterday. Bergan Foley with five goals, Emily Dashiell added four for the Cards. Louisville held a narrow 4-3 halftime lead before the second half surge that improves the Cards to 4-0 on the season. Freshman Ashley Herbst had 10 saves at goalie for UofL. The game was held at a Georgia high school football field and it was the first ever Division 1 field hockey game played in the state. Louisville extended their streak of scoring at least 10 goals a game to 14 games.

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Alex Flanangan survived a late voting charge for Bonnie Bernstein and advances to the round of eight in the CARDINAL COUPLE Sideline Reporters Contest. Today's match-up pits Pam Oliver against Stacey Dales.

The heavenly looking Oliver (pictured left) does foosball for Fox Sports and was the one who originally broke the story that Donovan McNabb was leaving the Philadelphia Eagles. Stacy Dales (formerly Stacy Dales Schumann) was an excellent college hoopster and does both basketball and football for ESPN. She's seen here keeping Maryland's Ralph Fridgen from the team buffet at a college football game. Feel free to vote in the comments section here (which few of you ever do) or e-mail us at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com (which many of you do) with your choice. Paul is Oliver smitten, Sonja likes Dales and David Watson voted for Ralph...

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Tough loss for Pitino's Cards last night to Connecticut in the BIG EAST finals 69-66. Can't understand why people are bashing Mike Marra over this and making him the goat. Louisville had a chance to take it to overtime and Preston Knowles had a good look at the three ball, it just didn't drop. Can't blame Marra for the intercepted in-bounds pass earlier (it was tipped) or missing the second of three free throws with a chance to tie and 4 seconds on the clock. Louisville will receive a great seed in the NCAA Tournament and the Cards won a lot of hearts and minds out there in college hoops land with their frenetic style of play and the guts and determination of this squad...that battled back from double digit deficits to lead late two nights in a row.

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You win as a team and lose as a tea. Wouldn't surprise US in the least if Marra comes back and has a fabulous NCAA Tournament. Kemba Walker is a warrior, no disgrace in losing to him and the Huskies.

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Girls Sweet Sixteen, Softball plays 2 today

saturday AT cardinal couple....

-Hammond, Rockcastle Co. advance to semis.

-Louisville softball today

-McCarty gets third in weight toss.

-The Sweet Sixteen of Sideline reporter marches on.

-Watson reviews Cards vs. Notre Dame

-Springer invades the BIG APPLE.

Wow...a busy day here at CARDINAL COUPLE...let's get right to it!

-Sara Hammond (pic above) had 15 points and 13 boards as Rockcastle County claimed a berth in the Kentucky Girls' High School Basketbal Tournament. Rockin' Rockcastle sent Clay County home with a 47-30 decision. Angie Lawrence added 13 for Rockcastle (34-1)...who gets Calloway County in the semifinals this morning.

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-Calloway County (32-1) overcame a Sheldon Clark 28-26 halftime lead to earn an entry to the Final four...winning 62-51. Averee Fields stays on fire with 22 points for the Mountaineer signee.

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-Louisville Manual (32-4) started the fourth quarter with an 8-1 run to pull away from Bowling Green and make the semifinals. They beat B.G. 48-36. Another balanced team effort for the Crimsons. They get Marion County in the semis for their efforts.

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-Marion County (27-6) kept Louisville Butler from hanging around for Saturday hoops with a 41-26 drubbing of the Bearettes. University of Louisville targets Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (12 points and nine boards) and Makayla Epps (10 points) led the way for the Lebanon, KY hoopsters.

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Manual, Marion County, Rockcastle County and Calloway County. This is going to be an exciting day of hoops. Almost 8000 watched the quarterfinals yesterday in Western Kentucky University's E.A. Diddle Arena. Probably could have doubled that if they'd moved it to the KFC YUM Center. Are ya listening KHSAA?

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Cardinal Softball in action at the Ulmer today...Louisville Softball Classic. Three games scheduled....starting with (12-6) Louisville vs. (22-0) Michigan. The Cards play again at 4 p.m. against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky University. Keep bringing those big bats...Bemis, Wolny and Esteban. All three are hovering around the .400 mark at the plate. Admission is free..get out and enjoy the sunshine and take in the action on the UofL campus. We'll have reports for you, as always, here at CARDINAL COUPLE.

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D'Ana McCarty grabbed third in the weight toss at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Texas A&M's Gillam Indoor Stadium. McCarty's toss of 22.28m was just behind the winning throw of 22.69m of Indiana State's Felicia Johnson and Southern Illinois' Jeneva McCall's toss of 22.46.

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Khadija Abdullah and McCarty compete in the finals of the shot put today for the Cards. The University of Louisville...we have girls who can throw things a long way...

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Allison Williams obliterated Jeanine Edwards in the Sideline reporters round of sixteen yesterday...sponsored by the fine folks at CARDINAL COUPLE. Edwards garnered only two votes in the whitewash. Probably Billy Gillespie and Ron Franklin. Today's match-up pits Alex Flanagan (left) versus Bonnie Bernstein (right). Flanagan was a part of the four letter network until she sashayed over to the NFL Network. Bernstein still prowls the sidelines for CBS. We think this one is too close to call...Paul and Sonja going with Flanny and David Watson choosing "double B's". You can vote in the comments section here or at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com. Remember, 'neither of the two' is NOT a valid vote...

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DAVID WATSON with a few selected comments on Louisville's win over Notre Dame last night in the men's semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament:

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I don't know how they do it, these current birds in Pitino's nest. Seemingly out-played, out-shot, out-rebounded and out-coached. Pitino pulls another rabbit out of the hat and conjures up a win over these #4 in the nation Irish. Siva on the bench, everyone but assistant coach Steve Masiello with 3 or 4 fouls. And, all three bozo announcers ready to suit up and play for Notre Dame. Can we just give Preston Knowles the 'inspirational player of the year' title now?

(Cardinals mug it up with former President Bill Clinton after defeating the Irish)

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I love this team. Not because they're winning right now or because they're unselfish. They remind me of the little boy in the back yard, trying vainly to make the first basket of his life. Shot after shot falls short, doesn't quite get there and then one finally drops. The smile on his face, the un-describable joy pumping through the youngster. You never forget that first basket you make. I'll never forget this 2010-11 UofL basketball team. Bring on the Huskies!!

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(David Watson is out in the backyard right now...trying to drain threes like Kyle Kuric. So far, he's 0 for morning...)

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.Steve Springer and the family got to see a classic last night in Madison Square Garden . The Biggest Fan of the BIG EAST and his wife & kids are guests of Volvo for the tournament. They left Louiville yesterday and everything is "on the house" for the Springer's. New York during BIG EAST basketball tournament time is a exciting place to be and you can follow the Springer's trip over at http://www.uoflcardgame.com/. Attempts to get Paul in the luggage or introduce him as a long lost Uncle failed. Have a big time in the BIG APPLE, Steve and hit the Carnegie Deli and try a 'Woody Allen'. You won't be able to finish half of it..but you'll love every minute of trying.

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Men's Soccer in NCAA Championship Game

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Soccer defeats UNC 2-1, goes to Championship game

-Lady Cards face Dayton in YUM doubleheader

-Rockcastle, Marion County girls win

(Photo by Mark J. Terrel/Associated Press)

It's not often that a University of Louisville sports team play for the national title, but Ken Lolla's Louisville men's soccer team will get that chance Sunday at 4 p.m. in Santa Barbara, CA. after defeating UNC 2-1 last night inthe semifinals of the NCAA College Cup. The Cards got the win in the final minute of the match when Aaron Horton broke free from a wall of TarHeel defenders and corralled a pass from Ryan Smith. Horton drove to the net and tapped a shot past UNC goalie Scott Goodwin with 52 seconds left in regulation.

Louisville (20-0-3) will face Akron (21-1-2) in the title match. Akron defeated Michigan in the semis 2-1. Akron played but lost in the championship game last year. ESPN 2 will televise the Louisville vs. Akron game.

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Jeff Walz's Lady Cards host Dayton today in the KFC YUM Center at 5 p.m. The game is the second of a Louisville basketball doubleheader...Pitino's men face UNLV in the first game at noon. For Walz and the Cards, it's a return to competition after defeating Kentucky 78-52 last Sunday in the YUM.

The Cards will enjoy Dayton's style of hoops because it mirrors theirs...pushing the ball in transition and creating turnovers with defensive pressure. The Cards (6-3, 0-0) face a Dayton team (5-3) that has four starters back from last year and that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Dayton defeated BIG EAST member Cincinnati earlier in the season and is currently on a three game winning streak.

No word yet on whether sophomore forward Asia Taylor will dress and play in this afternoon's contest. The Columbus, OH. forward did not participate in the Kentucky win and watched the game in street clothes in the seats instead of on the bench.

Shoni Schimmel and Becky Burke won't be the only three point specialists on the Denny Crum Court this afternoon. Dayton has six players that are fond of the "long ball"and the Flyers attempt a mind boggling 32 threes a game. They are 66-170 on the season with the trifecta, good for 38% and Justine Raterman, Kristin and Kari Daughtery, Louisville Manual's Brittany Wilson, Patrice Lalol and Aundrea Lindsay will put it up without hesitation.

Headed to the 'Bucket'...see ya there.

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Sara Hammond had 16 points and 15 boards in #3 Rockcastle County's 77-52 win over Scott County last night. Marion County got balanced scoring in their 74-38 dismantling of Washington County. Marion County returns to the floor tonight.

Sara Hammond to announce Tuesday morning

WELCOME TO TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

(We're keeping this one up here until we know the decision)

SARA HAMMOND TO ANNOUNCE TUESDAY 10 A.M.

Prized basketball recruit Sara Hammond from Rockcastle County High School has announced that she'll announce her college choice

Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.

Hammond has narrowed down her college choices to the University of Louisville and the University of Connecticut. She has visited both campuses and received in-home visits from each school last week.

Hammond is considered the front runner for Miss Basketball in Kentucky for the 2010-11 season and was a top player this summer for Kentucky Premier 17U AAU Select team. She played on the team with other UofL targets Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Makayla Epps.

Hammond is a versatile 6'2" front line player with excellent rebounding skill and has great outside shooting range. She led Rockcastle County to a final four appearance last year in the Ky. State Girls' High School tournament and has been ranked as high as the #12th best player nationwide in the class of 2011.

WE have been supremely confident for quite sometime that Hammond is headed to be a Cardinal and that confidence isn't waning as decision day draws near. We know that UConn has really turned up the juice in their recruiting effort over the last several months...but Hammond has been considered a Louisville lean for several years and we don't see that changing.

Louisville offers several things that she has stated in the past are important to her in her college choice.

-She wants to chose a school where her parents, family and friends can see her play.

Louisville is 2 hours away, Connecticut considerably further.

-She's looking for a school where she'll see playing time and eventually get a chance to start. Louisville has needs in the front court areas and Hammond is tailor-made to fill those.

-Connecticut has an all star list of players either on campus, as returnees or freshmen and several more candidates in the class 0f 2011.

-Hammond is looking for a college that she'll feel comfortable at. She described her Labor Day weekend visit to Louisville as "the best weekend of my life."

-Hammond also has a strong source of commitment to the Rockcastle County and Mt. Vernon, KY. area and it just makes sense that she'd pick a school where those friends and fans would be able to see her play in person. The UofL basketball program under Jeff Walz, in his fourth year as Cardinal skipper has also played Tennessee, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay. These campus are also close to Mt. Vernon as another chance for her fan base to see her in action.

-Hammond wants to attend a college where she can get a degree in her field of study. We're not sure what that is...but Louisville has a medical school, dental school, law school, engineering school and business school...as well as an arts and sciences school. Covers about everything.

The lure and siren song of the UConn basketball is a strong one. To be considered by them is quite an honor. But, it doesn't always work out there. (Note: the comments previously here in the original article have been removed after editorial review and reader request.)

WE think it is an obvious choice. WE'LL update you when she announces. WE'RE confident that it will be an announcement that will make a lot of people in RED and BLACK happy. WE'RE calling it "Cardinal."