Louisville HC Jeff Walz speaks to his team against Toledo on November 14th, 2017. Photo by Jared Anderson, River City Cards
five women score in double digits, two score more than 10 rebounds
While much of the country was out and about trying to score great deals, the fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals Women’s basketball was out and about scoring baskets. They hosted Murray State, an unranked opponent, and perhaps a welcomed sight for Jeff Walz’s battle-hardened squad. It seemed like the first game in a while that he could get quality minutes for his bench.
And the bench performed admirably. Four bench players had over ten points, and the entire bench scored 76. The Cards routed Murray State 115-51. The scoring leader was Kylie Shook, with 21. Bionca Dunham and Sydney Zambrotta weren’t too far behind, with 19 and 16, respectively. Dunham led the team with 16 rebounds, and a double-double.
The Cards set the tone early. Four seconds into the game, Sam Fuehring made a layup, followed by another jump shot, and a another layup. Within the first four minutes, the guard had seven points. She led Louisville to a comfortable 29-8 lead at the end of the first. The team shot 47.8 percent from the field, and forced 11 turnovers, while rebounding 14 times. Louisville also had 14 points from the bench.
Domination continued into the second quarter. The Cards shot 52.6 percent, and made 15 rebounds. 14 points were scored from the bench. At the half, Louisville led 57-22. Sam Fuehring led the team with ten points, followed by Sydney Zambrotta from the bench. Myisha Hines-Allen also had eight rebounds.
Murray State exited the locker rooms on fire. Forward Abria Gulledge made three consecutive threes, within two minutes. She also had a jumper and made two free throws. She was the sole scoring Racer for over three minutes. But, behind Bionca Dunham’s 8 and Dana Evan’s four points, the Cards outscored Murray State 26-23. Dunham’s five rebounds secured a double-double for her. Four women were in the double-digits scoring.
Much like the first quarter, Louisville dominated the fourth. The Cards shot an unreal 70 percent, 14 field goals, three coming behind the arc. Shook’s three at 32 seconds was the last play of the game, and the Cards walked away on Black Friday with the win.
They move to 6-0, and will go on a two-game road trip, against Indiana on November 30th, and South Dakota State on December 3rd. The Cards return to the KFC Yum! Center on December 5th, taking on UT Martin.