The RV/RV Louisville women’s basketball team is on the road to start the new year and is getting ready for an early battle of ACC unbeatens. The Cardinals (11-4, 2-0) are heading to Durham to face off with Duke (12-1, 2-0) on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET. The matchup will be aired on RSN and will be broadcast locally in Louisville on Bally Sports South.
Both teams carry winning streaks into the game as the Cardinals have won their last six and Duke is winners of their last seven games. Over the Cardinals six-game winning streak, they have scored 70 or more points in all six games and 80 or more in four of the six games. The Cards have been knocking it down from the floor during the streak. They have shot 50 percent or better in each of the last three games and in four of the six games during the winning streak.
In the most recent win for the Cards over Syracuse on Dec. 29, Hailey Van Lith did it all as she led the team with 24 points, tied a career high with six assists and had five rebounds and a block. It was her eighth 20-point performance of the season and the third-straight game she has led the Cardinals in scoring. It is just the second time in her career that she has had 20-plus points and at least five rebounds and five assists in a game.
On the season, Van Lith leads the Cardinals with 20.1 points per game, 3.5 assists and is second on the team with 5.6 rebounds. Her 20.1 points per game is second in the ACC and ranks 22nd nationally. Chrislyn Carr is another scoring threat for the Cardinals and she leads the team with 38 three pointers. Carr is shooting 45.8 percent from behind the arc, which ranks third in the conference and her 38 three is second in the ACC and 17th nationally.
Date: Sunday, January 1
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Site: Durham, N.C. | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
TV: RSN (Tom Werme, play-by-play; Tabitha Turner-Wilkins, analyst)
Radio: 93.9-FM WLCL (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Last Meeting: W, 77-65 (Jan. 30, 2022 at KFC Yum! Center)
Series History: Louisville leads 7-3 (4-0 home, 2-3 away, 1-0 neutral)
Series History w/Walz: Louisville leads 6-2 (4-0 home, 2-2 away)
ABOUT THE BLUE DEVILS
Duke enters Sunday’s matchup with a 12-1 record this season and are 2-0 in ACC play. The Blue Devils have won their last seven games heading into the weekend and are coming off a 72-58 road win over #6 NC State this past Thursday. Duke defeated Virginia in the ACC opener prior to the Christmas break. The Blue Devils lead the ACC and rank third in the NCAA in scoring defense as they allow just 49.8 points per game. Teams are shooting 32.1 percent against Duke, the fourth best mark in the country. Duke held the 6th-ranked Wolfpack to 34.4 percent shooting Thursday night and NC State came into the game shooting 48.0 percent on the season. Senior Celeste Taylor leads the Blue Devils with 12.2 points per game and she had 23 points in the win over NC State. Fellow senior Elizabeth Balogun is the team’s leading rebounder with 5.2 per game and she averages 10.2 points per game.
Series History – This will be the 11th meeting all time between the two schools in a series that dates back to the 1990-91 season. The Cardinals are 7-3 all-time against Duke and are 6-2 against the Blue Devils under head coach Jeff Walz. All-time, Louisville is 2-3 in games played in Durham but the Cards have won the last five games against the Blue Devils dating back to the 2016-17 season. They have won the last two games played at Duke in 2020 (73-49) and 2018 (66-60).
Last Meeting (Jan. 30, 2022) – Hailey Van Lith scored eight of her 17 points in the fourth quarter and No. 4 Louisville held off No. 21 Duke 77-65 on Sunday for their third consecutive victory. The Cardinals (18-2, 8-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) appeared in control with a 20-point lead just after halftime. Shayeann Day-Wilson scored five consecutive points to get Duke within 62-57 early in the fourth before Kianna Smith and Hailey Van Lith answered with a layup and 3-pointer respectively and Emily Engstler added a jumper for a 69-57 cushion. Van Lith’s 3 spurred a 6-0 spurt to make it 75-62 including three free throws from Smith and Mykasa Robinson. Van Lith’s layup with 27 seconds remaining closed the scoring as Louisville improved to 12-0 at home and closed the month 8-1. Van Lith’s 5-of-8 shooting from long range and 6 of 12 overall made the difference after going scoreless in the middle two quarters. Louisville was 11 of 32 from behind the arc.
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For the latest on Louisville women’s basketball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team’s Instagram account at @LouisvilleWBB, Twitter account at @LouisvilleWBB or on Facebook at facebook.com/louisvillewbb.
by Matt Paras
