University of Louisville
Rutgers
Louisville Falls to No. 9 Rutgers 80-55
January 21, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2006
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Cappie Pondexter scored 27 points and freshman Kia Vaughn added 13 points and 15 rebounds to lead No. 9 Rutgers to an 80-55 rout of Louisville on Saturday.
Connie Neal scored 10 points to lead Louisville (13-4, 4-2 Big East).
Rutgers, coming off a one-point loss to No. 21 Temple on Thursday, wasted no time putting Louisville away. The Scarlet Knights (13-3, 5-0 Big East) used a 27-1 run over a 9-minute stretch of the first half to build a 41-15 halftime advantage.
Pondexter, called for a technical after getting fouled hard with about 14 minutes left, returned with 7 minutes left and Rutgers ahead 59-45. She scored nine points, crushing the Louisville comeback attempt.
Vaughn, who entered the game averaging 5.7 rebounds, dominated the glass with six offensive boards and nine on the defensive end. She had four blocks and scored all of her points in the second half.
Matee Ajavon added 14 points and seven assists for Rutgers.
Louisville, the tallest team in the Big East, lost the rebounding battle 44-23. The Cardinals shot 21 percent (6-of-28) in the first half as Rutgers' defense clogged the middle and forced poor shots.
The Cardinals turned to the 3-pointer in an attempt to get back in the game in the second half, hitting 6-of- 12 attempts. They finished 8-for-23 from beyond the arc.
