Louisville Handles SIU-Edwardsville 105-32

After you’ve been kicked around a little sometimes you just need a game to take a deep breath and get your mojo back. Granted SIUE is not quite the same caliber as #3 Ohio State but the Cards showed that they were absorbing the lessons of their losses and trying to correct them. At halftime they had scored 62 points which was not only a program record for points in a half but also more than they scored in the entire last game against MTSU.

After the game Hailey Van Lith said, “This is the first game in awhile I felt like we applied things that we needed to work on. It was really good to get that feeling. The true test if we can carry that over against an elite team will be on Sunday [against Kentucky].” She also said that practices are positive and that the standard she is holding the team to is how they played during the first half of the Ohio State game. “That is the team that we can be. That is the team that we are.” Morgan Jones said, “Sooner or later it’s gonna click.”

Coach Walz said that fans are coming up to him fretful and asking questions about “what’s wrong, what’s wrong??” and he says, “I was trying to be nice but finally I said ‘you’re spoiled, that’s what’s wrong.’ For 98 straight weeks we were in the top 10 which is a little over 5 seasons. I told the gentleman very nicely that you were probably complaining when we lost one of those games so you’re probably going to complain no matter what.”

Hailey also entered the 1,000 point club of her 21 point effort tonight. Her teammate Morgan said of that achievement, “I’m proud.... I didn’t get 1,000 points until the end of my senior year so as a junior and it’s still early... that’s tough.” Hailey countered by complimenting Morgan on her 8 steals tonight. She laughed, “Eight steals bro. I couldn’t get 8 if they passed the ball to me.”

Mykasa Robinson did not play because she’s still in concussion protocol. Norika Konno was feeling a little under the weather and also did not play. CC Carr had 14 points and 5 assists. Olivia Cochran had 12 points. Morgan had 17 points.

Next up the Cards travel down the road to Lexington to take on rival Kentucky. The game is at 1:00 and will be shown on ESPN.