University of Louisville
VIRGINIA
No. 4 Women's Basketball Hosts Virginia in Play4Kay Game on Thursday
February 21, 2018 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals and Cavaliers will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
Fans can purchase $3 tickets to the game when using the Play4Kay promo code. Five percent of all walkup ticket and concession sales will be donated to the Kay Yow Fund. Fans can also donate via the Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge and the UofL women's basketball auction.Â
In addition, head coach Jeff Walz has pledged to donate $1 to the Kay Yow Fund for every fan over 10,000.
The Cardinals return home after playing five of their last six games on the road.
At 8-0 on the road in league play, the Cards wrap ACC play with a perfect 8-0 road record for the 2nd time in three years. Overall, they are 13-1 in road games this season, which marks the best road record in school history.
At 13-1, UofL will win its first ACC regular season title with wins in its final two games. It will mark their first regular season title since they won the C-USA in 2001. Winning out would also match their best ever record in ACC play at 15-1 in 2015-16.
Arica Carter is 11-of-18 from 3-point range in the last three games. She is shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc and has 37 3-point field goals on the season after entering the year with just 16 for her career.
She ranks second on the team with 29.6 minutes per game and has started 28 of 29 games. She has led the team in assists in eight of 14 ACC games, ranks 10th in the ACC with 3.9 assists per game and second with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
It was announced on Wednesday morning that Walz was named one of 10 semifinalists for 2018 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year. Walz has led the Cardinals to a program-best 27-2 start despite returning just two starters from a team that went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16 a year ago.
In the last four home games, 44,015 fans have walked through the turnstiles at the KFC Yum! Center, an average of 11,003 per game. Louisville is averaging 7,652 fans this season, which ranks sixth in the country, and their 114,776 total fans rank third.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS
Virginia (16-11, 9-5) enters Thursday's matchup with losses in four of their last five games, including a 77-41 loss to Louisville on Feb. 1 that began their skid. They began conference play with an 8-1 record, marking their best start since beginning the 1999-00 season at 9-1 in ACC games.
Virginia ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring defense, allowing 61.4 points per game, and fifth in field goal percentage defense at 38.3 percent. They are shooting 36.1 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks fourth in the ACC.
The Cavaliers feature four players averaging more than 9.8 points with Dominique Toussaint (11.3), Aliyah Huland El (10.3), J'Kyra Brown (10.1) and Jocelyn Willoughby (9.8). Felicia Aiyeotan leads the ACC with 2.3 blocks per game and ranks ninth in the league in rebounds (7.5). She also has seven double-doubles.
Series History: Louisville leads 6-2 (Home 3-0, Away 3-2)
Last Meeting:Â Â W, 77-41 (Feb. 1, 2018 at Virginia)
UofL is 6-2 all-time against Virginia and 3-0 at the KFC Yum! Center. Earlier this month, the Cards used a second half surge to roll past the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, 77-41. Last season, the Cards won 66-55 at the KFC Yum! Center on Feb. 23, 2017 and 86-81 in overtime at Virginia on Jan. 5, 2017.
GAME FACTS
Date:Â Thursday, Feb. 22
Time:Â 7:00 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court (22,000), Louisville, Ky.
Promotion: Thirsty Thursday ($3 Drinks), $3 Tickets with Play4Kay Promo Code
Video:Â ACCNE; Don Russell, play-by-play; Sara White, analyst; Cortnee Walton, sideline
Radio: WKRD, Nick Curran, play-by-play; Adrienne Johnson, analyst
Next UofL Game:Â Sunday, Feb. 25Â vs. Pittsburgh, 2Â p.m. ET
For the latest on Louisville women's basketball, visit GoCards.com, follow the team's Twitter account at @UofLWBB or on Facebook at facebook.com/UofLWBB.
