Friday, November 24
Katy, Texas (Merrell Center)
12 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Alabama
Photo by: Adam Mouchrani | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Head to Texas for Betty & Van Chancellor Classic
November 22, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals will face off with Alabama, Liberty and Gonzaga during the tournament
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The No. 20/15 Louisville women's basketball team (4-0) is heading to the Lone Star State for Thanksgiving week as they get ready for the Betty & Van Chancellor Classic this upcoming weekend. The Cardinals will face three opponents in three days and it starts on Friday from the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The Cardinals first matchup will be with Alabama (5-0) at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, then face Liberty (2-2) at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday and close the weekend with Gonzaga (4-1) at 1:45 p.m. ET on Sunday. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ over the course of the weekend.
The Cardinals are 4-0 heading down to Texas for the Chancellor Classic after a 2-0 week with home wins over Bellarmine (111-33) and Bucknell (77-44). In the most recent win over Bucknell, the Cardinals were paced by Sydney Taylor and her season-high 17 points in the win. With her first bucket of the game, she eclipsed the 1,500-point mark for her career.
The Cardinals had 10 different players score in the win over Bucknell. It is the third game this season 10 players or more have scored for the Cardinals. Last season, it only happened four times and the Cards were 4-0 in those games. The Cardinals have had at least nine players score in every game this season.
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Cardinals have been one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country. The Cardinals are 92-for-110 from the line, good for a 83.6 percentage. The free throw percentage ranks ninth in the NCAA. The Cards average 23.0 made free throws per game, a mark that is third-best in the nation. They average 27.5 trips to the line per game, a mark that is 10th in the country.
Date: Friday, November 24
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Site: Katy, Texas | Merrell Center (7,200)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 93.9-FM The Ville (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: Louisville trails 1-3 (0-1 home, 0-1 away, 1-1 neutral)
Last Matchup: W, 73-56 (Nov. 28, 2008 at Reno, Nev.)
ABOUT THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama enters the Van Chancellor Classic undefeated and are 5-0 through the first two weeks of the season. The Crimson Tide are coming off a 2-0 week in which they defeated USF 70-41 on Thursday and went on the road to defeat Little Rock 63-39 on Sunday. Alabama has played a common opponent of the Cardinals this season as they defeated Morehead State 85-44 on Nov. 12. The Cardinals are set to face the Eagles at home on Dec. 13. The Crimson Tide have a strong defense this year and are near the top in a number of categories through the first two weeks. They are second in the nation in scoring defense and have allowed just 42.6 points per game. They rank 16th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense and have limited opponents to 30.8 percent shooting from the field. They also turn teams over at a high rate and average 24.0 turnovers forced per game, which ranks 13th nationally.
Series History - This will be the fifth ever meeting between Louisville and Alabama in program history and the third time at a neutral venue. The Cardinals trail 1-3 in the all-time series but have a win in the most recent matchup. The two teams last met in Jeff Walz's second season as head coach at the Nugget Classic in Reno, Nev. and the Cardinals came away with a 73-56 win to advance to the championship game of the tournament.
Last Matchup (Nov. 28, 2008) - With Alabama hanging around longer than was comfortable, No. 7 Louisville turned to Angel McCoughtry. McCoughtry, the school's career scoring leader, scored 28 points and sparked a key run as the Cardinals pulled away in the second half to beat Alabama, 73-56, on Friday in the first round of the Nugget Classic. The Cardinals (5-0) will play host Nevada, in Saturday's championship game. Alabama trailed 35-28 at halftime, but opened the second half with five quick points from Russell on a short jumper and a 3-pointer to pull to within 37-33 with 18:40 to play. On the ensuing possession, the Crimson Tide forced Louisville to inbound the ball with 1 second left on the shot clock. The inbound pass went to McCoughtry, who hit a rainbow 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. That shot started a 17-3 run by the Cardinals over the next seven minutes to put them ahead, 56-36, with 10:23 to play. Alabama could get no closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Date: Saturday, November 25
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Site: Katy, Texas | Merrell Center (7,200)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 970-AM WGTK (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: Louisville leads 2-0 (home 1-0, neutral 1-0)
Last Matchup: W, 62-42 (March 22, 2009 at Baton Rouge, La.)
ABOUT THE FLAMES
Liberty enters the Chancellor Classic 2-2 overall with both of their losses coming in their most recent games. Last season, Liberty went 24-9 overall and were 16-2 in A-Sun play. The Flames fell in the A-Sun Championship to top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast. The Flames opened the season with wins over Frostburg State (68-46) and Stephen F. Austin (84-81, OT). The Flames dropped a road contest to No. 13 Texas (57-75) and fell in their last game against NC A&T (47-56). The Cardinals are set to face the Aggies later this season on Dec. 3 at the KFC Yum! Center. It will actually be the next home game for the Cardinals as they go on the road to face Ole Miss following the Chancellor Classic. Liberty opens the tournament on Friday against Gonzaga directly following the Cardinals game against Alabama.
Series History - This will be just the third all-time meeting between the two schools and the Cardinals are 2-0 all-time against the Flames. This will be the first matchup between the two schools since the Cardinals first Final Four run in school history. The Cardinals were the No. 3 seed playing in Baton Rouge and faced the 14th-seed Flames in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and the Cards came away with a 62-42 win.
Last Matchup (March 22, 2009) - Angel McCoughtry's loudest, fist-pumping howl of delight came after she forced a Liberty turnover along the sideline in the first half of Louisville's opening game in the NCAA tournament. The play offered insight into the defense-first mentality of third-seeded Louisville, which didn't need a single player to score more than 12 points in a dominant 62-42 victory over the 14th-seeded Lady Flames on Sunday night. The Cardinals did better than that. They forced 27 turnovers and converted those extra possessions into 29 points. McCoughtry and Candyce Bingham each scored 12 points in a short night's work, while Becky Burke was Louisville's only other scorer in double figures with 11 points. McCoughtry, the Big East defensive player of the year, also had four steals, as did Bingham as Louisville's defense pressed aggressively throughout.
Date: Sunday, November 26
Time: 1:45 p.m. ET
Site: Katy, Texas | Merrell Center (7,200)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 970-AM WGTK (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: Louisville is tied 2-2 (home 1-0, neutral 1-2)
Last Matchup: L, 67-79 (OT) (Nov. 19, 2022 at Paradise Island, Bahamas)
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Gonzaga heads into the tournament with a 4-1 overall record this season and have won their last three games in a row. Last season for Gonzaga they went 28-5 overall, 17-1 in WCC play and dropped their first round NCAA Tournament matchup to No. 8 seed Ole Miss in Palo Alto. The Cardinals would end up playing Ole Miss in the Sweet Sixteen in Seattle the next week and defeated the Rebels to advance to their fifth-straight Elite Eight. This season, Gonzaga has wins over Montana (83-70), Toledo (91-70), North Florida (83-55) and Wyoming (80-64). Their lone blemish is a 77-72 road loss against No. 24 Washington State. Gonzaga returns four of their five starters from their matchup with the Cardinals last season in the Bahamas.
Series History - This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the Cardinals and Bulldogs and the series is tied 2-2 through the first four matchups. This will be the third-straight season the Cardinals and Bulldogs face off. The Cardinals defeated Gonzaga in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at the KFC Yum Center and the two schools squared off last season at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
Last Matchup (Nov. 19, 2022) - Gonzaga stayed on the attack, particularly on the glass and in spite of a bevy of turnovers. The result was a takedown of No. 6 Louisville - and the second straight upset of a top-10 team to end the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Brynna Maxwell scored 21 points while Eliza Hollingsworth added 18 to help the Bulldogs beat the Cardinals 79-67 in overtime on Saturday night, a win that came immediately after Marquette's win against No. 3 Texas.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on Louisville women's basketball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram account at @LouisvilleWBB, X account at @LouisvilleWBB or on Facebook at facebook.com/louisvillewbb.
The Cardinals are 4-0 heading down to Texas for the Chancellor Classic after a 2-0 week with home wins over Bellarmine (111-33) and Bucknell (77-44). In the most recent win over Bucknell, the Cardinals were paced by Sydney Taylor and her season-high 17 points in the win. With her first bucket of the game, she eclipsed the 1,500-point mark for her career.
The Cardinals had 10 different players score in the win over Bucknell. It is the third game this season 10 players or more have scored for the Cardinals. Last season, it only happened four times and the Cards were 4-0 in those games. The Cardinals have had at least nine players score in every game this season.
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Cardinals have been one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country. The Cardinals are 92-for-110 from the line, good for a 83.6 percentage. The free throw percentage ranks ninth in the NCAA. The Cards average 23.0 made free throws per game, a mark that is third-best in the nation. They average 27.5 trips to the line per game, a mark that is 10th in the country.
Date: Friday, November 24
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Site: Katy, Texas | Merrell Center (7,200)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 93.9-FM The Ville (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: Louisville trails 1-3 (0-1 home, 0-1 away, 1-1 neutral)
Last Matchup: W, 73-56 (Nov. 28, 2008 at Reno, Nev.)
ABOUT THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama enters the Van Chancellor Classic undefeated and are 5-0 through the first two weeks of the season. The Crimson Tide are coming off a 2-0 week in which they defeated USF 70-41 on Thursday and went on the road to defeat Little Rock 63-39 on Sunday. Alabama has played a common opponent of the Cardinals this season as they defeated Morehead State 85-44 on Nov. 12. The Cardinals are set to face the Eagles at home on Dec. 13. The Crimson Tide have a strong defense this year and are near the top in a number of categories through the first two weeks. They are second in the nation in scoring defense and have allowed just 42.6 points per game. They rank 16th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense and have limited opponents to 30.8 percent shooting from the field. They also turn teams over at a high rate and average 24.0 turnovers forced per game, which ranks 13th nationally.
Series History - This will be the fifth ever meeting between Louisville and Alabama in program history and the third time at a neutral venue. The Cardinals trail 1-3 in the all-time series but have a win in the most recent matchup. The two teams last met in Jeff Walz's second season as head coach at the Nugget Classic in Reno, Nev. and the Cardinals came away with a 73-56 win to advance to the championship game of the tournament.
Last Matchup (Nov. 28, 2008) - With Alabama hanging around longer than was comfortable, No. 7 Louisville turned to Angel McCoughtry. McCoughtry, the school's career scoring leader, scored 28 points and sparked a key run as the Cardinals pulled away in the second half to beat Alabama, 73-56, on Friday in the first round of the Nugget Classic. The Cardinals (5-0) will play host Nevada, in Saturday's championship game. Alabama trailed 35-28 at halftime, but opened the second half with five quick points from Russell on a short jumper and a 3-pointer to pull to within 37-33 with 18:40 to play. On the ensuing possession, the Crimson Tide forced Louisville to inbound the ball with 1 second left on the shot clock. The inbound pass went to McCoughtry, who hit a rainbow 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. That shot started a 17-3 run by the Cardinals over the next seven minutes to put them ahead, 56-36, with 10:23 to play. Alabama could get no closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Date: Saturday, November 25
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Site: Katy, Texas | Merrell Center (7,200)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 970-AM WGTK (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: Louisville leads 2-0 (home 1-0, neutral 1-0)
Last Matchup: W, 62-42 (March 22, 2009 at Baton Rouge, La.)
ABOUT THE FLAMES
Liberty enters the Chancellor Classic 2-2 overall with both of their losses coming in their most recent games. Last season, Liberty went 24-9 overall and were 16-2 in A-Sun play. The Flames fell in the A-Sun Championship to top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast. The Flames opened the season with wins over Frostburg State (68-46) and Stephen F. Austin (84-81, OT). The Flames dropped a road contest to No. 13 Texas (57-75) and fell in their last game against NC A&T (47-56). The Cardinals are set to face the Aggies later this season on Dec. 3 at the KFC Yum! Center. It will actually be the next home game for the Cardinals as they go on the road to face Ole Miss following the Chancellor Classic. Liberty opens the tournament on Friday against Gonzaga directly following the Cardinals game against Alabama.
Series History - This will be just the third all-time meeting between the two schools and the Cardinals are 2-0 all-time against the Flames. This will be the first matchup between the two schools since the Cardinals first Final Four run in school history. The Cardinals were the No. 3 seed playing in Baton Rouge and faced the 14th-seed Flames in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and the Cards came away with a 62-42 win.
Last Matchup (March 22, 2009) - Angel McCoughtry's loudest, fist-pumping howl of delight came after she forced a Liberty turnover along the sideline in the first half of Louisville's opening game in the NCAA tournament. The play offered insight into the defense-first mentality of third-seeded Louisville, which didn't need a single player to score more than 12 points in a dominant 62-42 victory over the 14th-seeded Lady Flames on Sunday night. The Cardinals did better than that. They forced 27 turnovers and converted those extra possessions into 29 points. McCoughtry and Candyce Bingham each scored 12 points in a short night's work, while Becky Burke was Louisville's only other scorer in double figures with 11 points. McCoughtry, the Big East defensive player of the year, also had four steals, as did Bingham as Louisville's defense pressed aggressively throughout.
Date: Sunday, November 26
Time: 1:45 p.m. ET
Site: Katy, Texas | Merrell Center (7,200)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 970-AM WGTK (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: Louisville is tied 2-2 (home 1-0, neutral 1-2)
Last Matchup: L, 67-79 (OT) (Nov. 19, 2022 at Paradise Island, Bahamas)
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Gonzaga heads into the tournament with a 4-1 overall record this season and have won their last three games in a row. Last season for Gonzaga they went 28-5 overall, 17-1 in WCC play and dropped their first round NCAA Tournament matchup to No. 8 seed Ole Miss in Palo Alto. The Cardinals would end up playing Ole Miss in the Sweet Sixteen in Seattle the next week and defeated the Rebels to advance to their fifth-straight Elite Eight. This season, Gonzaga has wins over Montana (83-70), Toledo (91-70), North Florida (83-55) and Wyoming (80-64). Their lone blemish is a 77-72 road loss against No. 24 Washington State. Gonzaga returns four of their five starters from their matchup with the Cardinals last season in the Bahamas.
Series History - This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the Cardinals and Bulldogs and the series is tied 2-2 through the first four matchups. This will be the third-straight season the Cardinals and Bulldogs face off. The Cardinals defeated Gonzaga in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at the KFC Yum Center and the two schools squared off last season at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
Last Matchup (Nov. 19, 2022) - Gonzaga stayed on the attack, particularly on the glass and in spite of a bevy of turnovers. The result was a takedown of No. 6 Louisville - and the second straight upset of a top-10 team to end the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Brynna Maxwell scored 21 points while Eliza Hollingsworth added 18 to help the Bulldogs beat the Cardinals 79-67 in overtime on Saturday night, a win that came immediately after Marquette's win against No. 3 Texas.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on Louisville women's basketball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram account at @LouisvilleWBB, X account at @LouisvilleWBB or on Facebook at facebook.com/louisvillewbb.
Players Mentioned
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