University of Louisville
South Florida
No. 9 Women’s Basketball Hits the Road for Top-25 Matchup at No. 23 USF
January 21, 2017 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals and Bulls are meeting for the 33rd time in series history.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 9 University of Louisville women's basketball team hits the road for a top-25 matchup, when it plays at No. 23 USF on Sunday in the Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., at 2 p.m.
The Jan. 22 game will be broadcast on ESPNU, with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Brooke Weisbrod (analyst) calling the action. Louisville's radio broadcast can be heard on WKRD 790 AM, featuring Nick Curran (play-by-play) and Adrienne Johnson (analyst).
The Cardinals (17-4) earned their fourth victory in the last five games following a 91-51 rout of Georgia Tech on Wednesday. Louisville shot 57.4 percent from the field, including a 9-of-16 stint from 3, and outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 48-30. Georgia Tech was limited to 27.9 percent shooting and just two second-quarter points.
Asia Durr had a game-high 20 points, while Mariya Moore (13) and Myisha Hines-Allen (12) chipped in with double figures. Briahanna Jackson finished with game bests of seven assists and eight rebounds, tied with Moore.
The sophomore, Durr is pacing Louisville with a 17.2 scoring average and 68 3-pointers, second-most nationally. Hines-Allen is producing 13.0 points and 9.1 rebounds, and Moore is contributing 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
Jackson, a Tampa native, is leading the Cardinals' program with 98 assists, two shy of her first career 100-assist season, and 35 steals.
USF (15-2) has won seven of its last eight contests heading into the matchup, boasting a 4-1 record in The American. The Bulls' only blemish was a 102-37 loss to top-ranked Connecticut on Jan. 10.
Last time out, USF earned a 79-49 victory at home over Memphis. The Bulls scored 42 points in the paint, held a 43-33 rebounding advantage, and finished shooting 46.8 percent from the field. They took advantage of Memphis' 19 fouls, going 17 of 18 from the charity stripe. Defensively, USF forced 17 turnovers and translated those into 19 points.
Maria Jespersen scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting to help deliver head coach Jose Fernandez his 300th career victory. Ariadna Pujol totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Laia Flores chipped in 11 points. Sharpshooter Kitija Laksa totaled 10 points, but was held without a 3-pointer for the first time this season.
Through 17 games, Laksa is leading the program with a 19.9 scoring average behind a team-best 58 3-pointers. She is hitting 92.9 percent of her free throws. Jespersen is contributing 15.2 points and a team-leading 9.2 rebounds. Pujol rounds out the top scorers at 14.4 points per game, while Flores is dishing out 6.5 assists per outing.
Collectively, USF ranks in the top-20 nationally in rebound margin (No. 6), defensive rebounds per game (No. 7), free throw percentage (No. 11), scoring margin (No. 14), and rebounds per game (No. 14).
SERIES HISTORY – USF vs. Louisville
Louisville and USF, which faced each other as members of the Metro Conference, Conference USA, BIG EAST, and The American, have met 32 times. Louisville boasts a 28-4 advantage, having won the last five decisions.
Last season, Louisville defeated USF 67-50 on Feb. 15, 2016. The Cardinals forced 20 turnovers that led to 23 points and limited the Bulls to just seven fourth-quarter points.
Myisha Hines-Allen accounted for 25 points and 10 rebounds, Mariya Moore added 19 points, and Arica Carter had 15 points.
The last time the teams played in Tampa, Louisville defeated USF 60-52 on March 23, 2015, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals outrebounded the Bulls 45-32, and Hines-Allen had a team-high 12 points, while Moore chipped in 11 points.
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GAME FACTS – Louisville at USF
Date: Sunday, Jan. 22
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Site: Sun Dome (10,411), Tampa, Fla.
Television: ESPNU will broadcast the game, with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Brook Weisbrod (analyst) calling the action.
Radio: WKRD 790 AM will broadcast the game, with Nick Curran (play-by-play) and Adrienne Johnson (analyst) calling the action.
Series History: Louisville leads the series 28-4 (14-2 in Louisville, 13-2 in Tampa, 1-0 neutral). Louisville defeated USF 67-50 on Feb. 15, 2016, in Louisville, Ky.
Next UofL Game: Thursday, Jan. 26 at Clemson, Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, S.C., 7 p.m. ET (ACCN Extra)
