University of Louisville
MOREHEAD STATE
Women's Basketball Beats Morehead State, 66-38
December 28, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2008
LOUISVILLE, Ky. AP When a reporter told Louisville forward Angel McCoughtry that the 10th-ranked Cardinals turned it over 34 times in an otherwise easy 66-38 win over Morehead State in the Cardinal Classic on Sunday, the All-American did a double-take.
"Thirty-four?" McCoughtry said. "No comment."
McCoughtry had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 19 efficient minutes against the overmatched Eagles, but with play in the rough-and-tumble Big East beginning in a week, McCoughtry knows the Cardinals have a long way to go to play up to their billing as a conference contender.
"We always play good defense but the issue is when we play defense and get a steal, we can't give it right back to them," she said.
Even with the mistakes Louisville (11-1) had little trouble winning its seventh straight. Candyce Bingham added 13 points and Janae Howard had a career-high 10 for Louisville, which held the Eagles (7-5) to 19 percent shooting and held a 64-35 edge in rebounds.
"I wasn't pleased with the fact we gave up 20 offensive boards, but to get 25 of our own and come away with 39 defensive boards, I was really pleased," said Louisville coach Jeff Walz.
Still, afterward it was the giveaways that had the Cardinals groaning. Walz grew so frustrated by his team's inability to hold onto the ball earlier in the year he instituted a penalty program that made the Cardinals run one wind sprint at the next practice for every turnover over 16.
Walz did away with the program after the Cardinals appeared to get their turnover problems under control. After watching his team come within one turnover of tying a school record for turnovers in a game, Walz said it's time for his team to lace up their running shoes.
"I think we're going to have to go back to it," he said.
Maybe the starters _ who gave it away just 13 times _ could skip the misery. McCoughtry scored Louisville's first 11 points and the Cardinals needed just eight minutes to build a double-digit lead and their defense made it hold up.
Morehead State's point total was the fewest by a Louisville opponent since a 69-37 win over Cincinnati last year.
"A lot of our shooting percentage was due to them," said Morehead State coach Mike Bradbury. "Even the shots that we got that were open, they were rushed because we weren't used to being open.
Ashley Martin led Morehead State with 13 points but the Eagles shot just 19 percent and turned it over 28 times. Center Brittany Pittman, who entered the game second in the nation in blocked shots, had eight.
"I honestly thought she had 12," Walz said. "She's the best shotblocker I've seen in 14 years of coaching."
Louisville plays Central Michigan while Morehead State plays New Hampshire on Monday. Central Michigan beat New Hampshire 72-62 in the first game of the Classic earlier Sunday.
