University of Louisville
FLORIDA STATE
Women’s Basketball Opens ACC Play Friday Against No. 15 Florida State
December 31, 2015 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals and Seminoles tip in the KFC Yum! Center at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville women's basketball team opens ACC play on Friday, when it plays host to No. 15/13 Florida State in the KFC Yum! Center at 4 p.m.
The contest will tip at 4 p.m. ET and air on ESPNU, with Pam Ward (play-by-play) and LaChina Robinson (analyst) on the call. The radio broadcast will be available on WKRD 790 AM in Louisville, with Doug Ormay (play-by-play) and Adrienne Johnson (analyst) calling the action.
The New Year's Day game marks the fourth in program history, second under head coach Jeff Walz, and Louisville boasts a 3-0 record on the first day of the year: defeated DePaul 87-77 on Jan. 1, 1999; defeated Cincinnati 72-58 on Jan. 1, 2001; and, defeated Temple 77-68 on Jan. 1, 2014.
Louisville (8-5) capped 2015 and the month of December with five-consecutive wins after posting an 88-66 victory over UT Martin on Dec. 28 at home. Six Cardinals scored in double figures, and Louisville shot 54.0 percent in the win. The Cardinals held a 32-21 advantage on the glass.
Myisha Hines-Allen led the Cardinals with 13 points, while Mariya Moore (11 points, nine assists) and Cortnee Walton (12 points, nine rebounds) narrowly missed double-doubles. Asia Durr and Briahanna Jackson added 12 points apiece in the win.
Through 13 games, Hines-Allen leads the Cardinals in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (8.0) and is shooting a team-best 53.4 percent from the field. Jackson, who has a team-high 33 steals, is second in scoring (14.7), and Moore rounds out the top three scorers at 13.2 points. Moore is pacing the team with 64 assists.
Nationally, Louisville is 20th in total assists (226), 21st in steals (136), 23rd in turnovers forced (21.23), and 24th in turnover margin (+5.00).
Florida State (10-3) enters the game having won three of its last four games.
Last time out, Florida State used a strong first-quarter performance to defeat Jacksonville 77-60 on Monday in Tallahassee. The Seminoles shot 55.8 percent from the floor, including a 6-for-11 performance from beyond the arc. Florida State held a 35-23 advantage on the glass and scored more than 54 percent of its points in the paint (42).
Shakayla Thomas came off the bench and scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting to go with four blocks. Leticia Romero had 18 points, connecting on four 3s, and eight assists - despite seven turnovers - and Adut Bulgak added 13 points in the win.
On the season, Thomas is averaging a team-best 17.0 points in just 25.5 minutes per game. Bulgak (14.4 points), who is leading the team in rebounding (7.8), is one of three other Seminoles scoring in double figures - Romero (11.8) and Brittany Brown (10.6). Florida State also has two players with more than 40 assists this season in Brown (60) and Romero (49).
Nationally, Florida State ranks sixth in the country in rebounding margin (+15.3), 11th in field goal percentage (.482) and scoring margin (+22.8), and 17th in total steals (132).
For the latest information on Louisville women's basketball, log on to GoCards.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/UofLWBB or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UofLWBB.
SERIES HISTORY – Florida State vs. Louisville
Florida State leads the all-time series 14-12 after winning both meetings last year in Louisville's first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The two programs played during the regular season in Tallahassee, where the Seminoles posted a 68-63 victory despite Louisville's late comeback attempt. Sara Hammond had a game-high 19 points, and Jude Schimmel added 14.
In the second meeting, an ACC Tournament semifinal matchup, Florida State used a hot start to earn a 66-51 win. Mariya Moore had 17 points in the loss, and Shawnta' Dyer produced eight points and 13 rebounds. Ivey Slaughter paced the Seminoles with 17 points, and Shakayla Thomas added 12 off the bench.
The Cardinals and Seminoles met in Louisville on Nov. 24, 2013, with the Cardinals logging a 69-59 overtime victory, outscoring the Seminoles 15-5 in the extra period. The Cardinals scored 29 points off turnovers in the win.
Jude Schimmel, who finished with nine points and three steals, stole a pass and sprinted down the court for an uncontested layup with 24 seconds left in regulation to ultimately force overtime. Her sister Shoni scored 21 in the win.
GAME FACTS – Florida State at Louisville
Date: Friday, Jan. 1
Time: 4:01 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court (22,000), Louisville, Ky.
TV: ESPNU will broadcast the game, with Pam Ward (play-by-play) and LaChina Robinson (analyst) calling the action.
Radio: WKRD 790 AM will broadcast the game, with Doug Ormay (play-by-play) and Adrienne Johnson (analyst) calling the action.
Series History: Florida State leads the all-time series 14-12 (6-6 in Louisville, 6-4 in Tallahassee, 2-2 neutral). Florida State defeated Louisville 66-51 on March 7, 2015, in Greensboro, N.C.
Next UofL Game: Sunday, Jan. 3 at Georgia Tech, McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Ga., 2 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
