Dana Evans scored 17 of her 20 points in the second half, and No. 2 Louisville rallied for a 74-64 victory over Northern Kentucky on Friday.
Olivia Cochran scored 13 points and Elizabeth Dixon had 12 in Louisville’s first game since Dec. 9. The Cardinals’ schedule has been upended by numerous COVID-19-related cancellations and postponements.
Louisville (6-0) also got a double-double from Kianna Smith, who finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Lindsey Duvall, who transferred to NKU from Louisville, led the Norse with 20 points.
The Cardinals got off to a slow start, shooting just 35% and going 1 for 14 from 3-point range in the first half. The Norse (4-5) led 41-36 midway through the third quarter, but the Cardinals grabbed control with a 14-0 run over the final 3:39 of the period.
Hailey Van Lith had 10 points for Louisville, which shot 50% percent in the second half.
The schools did not schedule the game until Thursday afternoon, nearly 24 hours before the 3 p.m. tip. Attendance was limited to just family and friends of the staff and players on both teams. There were approximately 70 people in the KFC Yum Center.
BIG PICTURE
Northern Kentucky: The Norse played their first game in 12 days, but they managed to stay with the Cardinals by using their defense to help neutralize Louisville’s size inside. They had won four in a row.
Louisville: Besides the shooting woes, the Cardinals also experienced some uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns that helped the Norse stay in the game.
UP NEXT
Northern Kentucky visits IUPUI on Friday for the first of a two-game, two-day set.
Louisville hosts Bellarmine on Saturday afternoon.
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.
| Nick Evans Asst. Sports Information DirectorWomen’s Basketball, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer University of Louisville Athletics |