No. 9 Louisville Hosts Murray State on Friday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville women's basketball plays the second of five straight games at home to open the year when they host Murray State on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET.

The Cardinals won their fourth straight season opener on Tuesday, downing Western Kentucky, 75-56. It marked the second straight season where they have opened the year with a win over the Hilltoppers as last year they won 102-80 in Bowling Green, Ky.

Dana Evans led all scorers with 19 points on 3-6 shooting from deep, while Elizabeth Balogun added 15 points on 5-6 3-point shooting in her first game as a Cardinal. Elizabeth Dixon finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds to record a double-double in her Louisville debut and Jazmine Jones almost picked up a triple-double with 10 assists, eight points and eight rebounds.

Jones' 10 assists were the most by a Louisville player since Evans had 10 against Kentucky on Dec. 17, 2017. They were the most by a Louisville player in a season opener since Patrika Barlow had 16 assists against Ball State on Nov. 10, 2007, which was head coach Jeff Walz's first game at Louisville.

The newcomers left their mark on Tuesday, as they contributed 45.3 percent of the scoring (Balogun - 15, Dixon 10, Norika Konno - 9). Evans played 32 minutes to lead the way, but Balogun (29), Dixon (28) and Konno (26) played the second, third and fourth most minutes.

ABOUT THE RACERS

Last season, Murray State went 13-17 overall and 9-9 in OVC play. They lost in the first round of the OVC Tournament to UT Martin, 77-56. They return just two starters from last year's team and lose over 50-percent of its scoring and rebounding. They return Macey Turley, the 2019 OVC Freshman of the Year, who averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game last year. Their lone senior is Cekeya Mack, who averaged just 3.8 points per game a season ago, but shot a team-best 55.1 percent from the floor.

Series History - Louisville is 15-4 all-time against Murray State, including 10-1 at home. UofL has won nine of the last 10 games dating back to 1980, their lone loss during that stretch a 62-61 defeat in Murray on Jan. 28, 1982. The Cardinals are 2-0 against the Racers at the KFC Yum! Center (W, 115-51 - Nov. 24, 2017; W, 105-62 - Nov. 29, 2011).

The Last Meeting - UofL posted a 115-51 win over Murray State at the KFC Yum! Center on Nov. 24, 2017. The 115 points scored are the most by a Louisville team in program history. Kylee Shook led the way with 21 points on 3-4 3-pt shooting, while Bionca Dunham recorded her lone career double-double (19 points, 16 rebounds). Dana Evans had 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Cardinals limited Murray State to 30 percent shooting and forced 26 turnovers.

GAME FACTS
Date: Friday, Nov. 8
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center,
Louisville, Ky. (22,000)
TV: ACCNX, Don Russell, play-by-play; Heidi Mueller, analyst
Radio: 790 AM (WKRD), Nick Curran, play-by-play; Adrienne Johnson, analyst
Promotion: Hawaiian Night - wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt and enjoy $6 mixed drink specials
Next Game: Thursday, Nov. 14 vs. Central Michigan

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.

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Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Balogun

Liz Dixon

Bionca Dunham

Dana Evans

Jazmine Jones

Norika Konno

Kylee Shook

University of Louisville Athletics