For much of the first quarter, it looked like it was going to be a very long night for the Cards. With about 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in this quarter, the team’s score was a paltry 8-6. Even with a 21-12 lead entering the second quarter, Louisville only shot 14% from three-point range. When the Cards returned to the locker room at halftime, they had shot 40% from three-point range and had a comfortable 50-25 lead. After Louisville took control of the game, Ohio State wouldn’t seriously challenge Miami.
Skylar Jones came off the bench to spark Louisville’s offense. She scored 17 of her 20 points in the first half. Coach Walz said, “Skylar was awesome tonight. She had seven rebounds and scored 20 points – 3-for-6 from 3-point range… We looked for her and we found her and she ran hard and made open shots. I’m so proud of her. I thought she played hard and played hard.”
Anaya Hardy had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Imari Berry had one of her most consistent games, scoring 10 points and dishing out three assists. Laura Ziegler had 15 points and 5 rebounds.
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Coach Walz added, “This is a really good Ball State team that we just beat. They’re going to win a lot of basketball games. We came out and I thought we were very aggressive from the beginning, which we needed to be, and we decided on some things. I’ve been saying it all the time: Fouls matter. We got their top guy in foul trouble early and that really changed the dynamics of the game.”
The Cards will next face ACC rival North Carolina on the road. The game will be played on Sunday at 4 p.m. and can be watched on the ACC Network.
