University of Louisville
NOTRE DAME
Cardinals Fall Short in 82-74 Loss to Irish
January 08, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2008
Final Stats | Quotes | AP Gallery 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Charel Allen scored a season-high 26 points to lead No. 14 Notre Dame to an 82-74 win over Louisville in a Big East Conference game last night in front of 5,243 fans at Freedom Hall.
Allen, a 5-foot-11 senior guard, scored six of her points during a decisive 10-2 run in the second half that turned a one-point lead into a nine-point cushion for the visiting Fighting Irish (13-2, 1-0). Allen scored 14 of her points in the second half when Notre Dame outscored the Cardinals (11-4, 0-2) 44-36 after the two teams were tied 38-all at halftime.
Allen also did it with defense too. She helped harass Louisville's Angel McCoughtry, the Big East's leading scorer, into 8 of 25 shooting - including 0 of 7 from three-point range - on her way to 21 points. McCoughtry, who came in ranked fourth nationally in scoring (23.3 points per game), grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, but also had six turnovers.
"Charel Allen did a magnificent job for us, she was outstanding at both ends of the floor," said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, who earned her 550th career victory.
The Cardinals couldn't overcome their poor free throw shooting. Louisville was just 15 of 32 (46.9 percent) from the foul line, including only 6-for-15 (40 percent) in the second half.
"Not much else to say other than 15-for-32," said Louisville coach Jeff Walz, whose team entered the game eighth in the Big East in free throw shooting at 67.7 percent. "When you go 15-for-32 you don't have a chance to win."
Tulyah Gaines added 13 points for Notre Dame, while reserve Erica Williamson chipped in with 11 points as the Fighting Irish's bench outscored their Cardinal counterparts 22-11.
Candyce Bingham led Louisville with 22 points, while center Chauntise Wright added 12 points.
Notre Dame, which came in fourth in the Big East in free throw shooting (71.4 percent), made 19 of its 25 foul shots (76 percent). The Fighting Irish also shot 49.2 percent (30 of 61) from the field, including 53.3 percent in the second half (16 of 30). That offset 20 turnovers by Notre Dame, which entered the game ranked third nationally in fewest miscues per game (13.1).
The Cardinals outrebounded the Fighting Irish 44-38, including 25 to 15 on the offensive end, but they couldn't overcome a bad shooting night. Louisville shot 42 percent (29 of 69) from the field, including 38.5 percent (15 of 39) in the second half, and was only 1 of 13 (7.7 percent) from three-point range.
"I'm really pleased with the way we played in the second half," McGraw said. "I thought defensively we did a much better job. We guarded the three-point line much better."
