The first half was not a good one for either team. Neither team seemed to be in a good rhythm. Entering the second half, Louisville shot just 14% (1-7) from three-point range and held a slim 4-point lead. The Cards seemed more locked in on offense and defense in the second half. However, in the fourth quarter, Cal cut the double-digit lead to six points. At this point, Louisville went on an 8-0 run, which was the coup de grace for the rest of the game, as the Cards went on to win 11-0, giving them their best start in ACC play.
The Cards’ balanced offense tonight featured different players taking the field at different points in the game. Elif Istanbulluoglu was knocked down, beaten and bruised but still finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Tajianna Roberts returned to form with 21 points. Laura Ziegler had 12 points and 5 rebounds.
“I thought it was a very gritty game today. Cal played really well. Cal was very physical on the defensive end. They did a lot of really good things,” Coach Walz said. “In the third quarter we finally started moving the basketball and sharing the ball. And then offensively we looked a lot better. We scored 71 points tonight and I thought our offense was terrible and that really shows how good we are.” Can yes. “
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He was pleased with Elif’s game, “I’m really happy for her. She fought hard. She got beat in the post… She made a huge 3 for us, big offensive rebound, and an and-1.”
“I’m really excited for her,” he said of the Taj Mahal game. “I think her pace — the way she plays, the way she shoots — she’s shooting the ball faster and scoring the ball faster.”
Next up, the Cards will return to Yum Arena for one of the most important games of the season against Duke. Coach Walz said, “We’re both 11-0 in the league. We’ve only played each other once. We need 13 to 14,000 players. It’s going to be a great basketball game. I hope people show up and give these kids the love and appreciation that I think they really deserve.” Game time is 7 p.m. and can be watched on ESPN.
