
Cardinals Defeat IUPUI 88-58 in Freedom Hall on Sunday
December 13, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2009
Louisville, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's basketball team defeated IUPUI 88-58 on Sunday afternoon in Freedom Hall, despite having only eight players available for action. The Cardinals had five players score in double figures. They were led by Becky Burke with 19 points and a career-high eight rebounds and lone senior Chauntise Wright, who scored a season-high 18 points and seven rebounds. Gwen Rucker and Nikki Burton finished with 12 points and Laura Terry finished with 11.
Louisville started out the game executing well on offense scoring their first four points of the game off of inbound plays. The Cardinals continued built a 12-3 lead in the first four minutes of the game.
Louisville then went on a 25-9 run after the first time out to open up its biggest lead of the half over IUPUI at 27 (39-12) at the 6:22 mark. The Jaguars weren't finished for the half using a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 45-25 with 2:04 left. The Cardinals led 48-26 at the break. Wright provided a huge spark off the bench for the Cards, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds in the half.
Louisville finished the first half shooting 50.0 percent from the field, while the Jaguars shot 34.6 percent. Louisville held a 24-13 rebounding edge in the half.
The Cardinals were sloppy with the ball in the second half, committing 13 turnovers but still found ways to score and keep the lead above 20 the whole half.
Louisville used an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 32 at the 9:17 leading 70-38, which became the largest lead of the season for the Cardinals off a jump shot from Terry. Later, the lead became 33 after a three point play from Wright, which was the largest lead of the season.
The closest the Jaguars got after that was 26 at the 3:05 mark off a lay-up from Ebony Davis, but IUPUI never made it any closer.
Louisville finished the game shooting 48.3 percent from the floor, while IUPUI shot 37.1 percent. The Cardinals outrebounded the Jaguars 47-31 for the game, for their largest rebounding margin of the season.
The game was a game of highs for Louisville. They hit a season-high 29 free throws out of 33 for a season-high 87.9 percent from the free throw line. The 88 points was also a season-high for the Cards surpassing the previous high of 84 against Tennessee Tech and Middle Tennessee. The Cardinals also dished out a season-high 16 assists, sharing the ball among themselves.
Keshia Hines, Ashley Rainey and Asia Taylor were suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.
The Cardinals will be back in action on the road to face No. 3 Tennessee on Dec. 16 at 7:00 p.m.