No. 1 Louisville Hosts No. 23 Syracuse on Thursday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No. 1 University of Louisville women's basketball hosts No. 23 Syracuse (7-1, 4-1) on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast on ESPN2 and 790-AM WKRD.

UofL is 12-0 to start the season and is the top ranked team in the country in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. It marks the first time in program history that the Cardinals have been ranked No. 1 in each poll.

Louisville is one of seven teams to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll the last decade, joined by Baylor, UConn, Notre Dame, Oregon, South Carolina and Stanford.

UofL has shot above 50 percent in back-to-back games, they shot 54.2 percent against FSU and 56.7 percent against BC. They've shot above 50 percent four times this season. The Cards are shooting 49.2 percent on the year, which ranks first in the ACC and fourth in the country, and is on pace for the best field goal percentage in program history. The previous high was 48.2 percent in 2017-18.

After shooting 7-38 (.184) from 3-point range in the first two games in January, the Cardinals are 47-109 (.431) from deep in their last five games. They are 21-44 (.477) in the last two games and shot 11-23 (.478) from deep in the win over Florida State. UofL is shooting 35.3 percent from beyond the arc on the season, which ranks fourth in the ACC.

Elizabeth Dixon had 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes against FSU for her first double-double of the season. It's her second double-double in a Louisville uniform. She had 10 points and 13 rebounds against WKU on Nov. 5, 2019, her first game as a Cardinal. She had four double-doubles during her freshman season at Georgia Tech.

She shot 0-4 in the season opener at SEMO, but is 41-63 (.651) from the floor since. In her last three games, she is averaging 8.7 points and 8.3 rebounds.

UofL's bench is averaging 27.0 points per game, which accounts for 31.5 percent of its production. The Cardinals' bench outscored FSU 35-3.

ABOUT THE ORANGE

Syracuse comes into the contest ranked 23rd in the latest AP Top 25 with an overall record of 7-1, 4-1 in ACC play. They are riding a three-game winning streak, defeating North Carolina, 88-76, last time out inside the Carrier Dome. This recent win avenges the lone loss on the season where the Tar Heels defeated the Orange 92-68 in Chapel Hill. Syracuse ranks third in the ACC with 78.6 points per game and a 14.9 scoring margin, trailing only No.1 Louisville and No.2 NC State. The strength of the Orange is their team defense, limiting opponents to 33.5 percent shooting from the field and 26 percent from three. Syracuse boasts eight players over 6-foot tall, helping them rank first in blocks per game with 7.13. Syracuse is led by freshman Kamilla Cardoso, who is averaging 14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, one of three Orange players to rank in the ACC top 10 in rebounds per game. Emily Engstler ranks fourth with 10.2 rebounds and Dana Stroutmane ranks ninth with 7.8 per game.

Series History - UofL is 13-7 all-time against Syracuse. Louisville has won seven out of the nine meetings since both programs left the Big East to join the ACC. In those seven ACC wins, the Cardinals have outscored their opponent by an average of 16.3 points. The last time at the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville secured a four-point win, 62-58, on Dec.29, 2019. Louisville dominates the all-time series as hosts, 8-1 at home, including a 4-0 record inside the KFC Yum! Center. The lone home loss came in Freedom Hall, where the Cardinals fell 64-58 on Jan.23, 2010.

Last Meeting (March 6, 2020) - No.4 Louisville advanced to the ACC Semifinals with a 71-46 win over Syracuse in Greensboro, N.C. The top-seeded Cardinals were led by a strong defensive performance, highlighted by a second period where they outscored the Orange 20-5 and held them to one field goal. Louisville limited their opponent to 27 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from three for the game. Jazmine Jones recorded her second of three double-doubles in her senior season, posting 11 points, 10 rebounds, in addition to a team-high four assists. Dana Evans contributed a team-high 23 points, including 6-10 from behind the arc.

GAME FACTS
Date: Thursday, Jan. 21
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Site: Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center
TV: ESPN2 (Beth Mowins, play-by-play; Debbie Antonelli, analyst)
Radio: 790-AM WKRD (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Adrienne Johnson, analyst)
Last Meeting: W, 71-46 (March 6, 2020 at ACCT Quarters)
Series History: 13-7 (W1, 8-1 Home, 4-5 Away, 1-1 Neutral)
UofL National Ranking: 1st Associated Press, 1st USA Today
Next UofL Game: Sunday, Jan. 24 at Wake Forest

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

Liz Dixon

Dana Evans

Jazmine Jones

University of Louisville Athletics