Louisville strangleholds Kentucky, winning sixth straight

After a two game losing skid for the Cardinals, Louisville extends their winning streak to two with their convincing win over Kentucky yesterday afternoon. Head Coach Jeff Walz led his team into the hostile environment of Lexington, KY and came out victorious with a final score of 86-72.

Louisville was led by Hailey Van Lith as she scored 21 points for the second straight game. Becoming a workhorse for the Cardinals, Van Lith has remained very productive despite her lengthy playing time each game.

Recording a 40-minute bout against the Wildcats, the Cashmere, Washington native added five rebounds, four assists, and shot 13-15 from the free throw line in Louisville’s win. The Cardinals last loss to their cross-town rivals came during the 2015-2016 season when Kentucky won 72-54.

The Wildcats still hold the lead in the all-time series with a total of 34 wins to Louisville’s 23 wins. Despite their series deficit, the Cardinals are slowing climbing back into the historic rivalry that has been the defined rivalry in the state of Kentucky.

Van Lith was the only Cardinal to break the 20-point mark, but she did receive some help from her teammates Morgan Jones and Liz Dixon who passed the double-digit threshold. Dixon added 16 points in 25 minutes and Jones added 12 points in 25 minutes. Forward Olivia Cochran was on double-double watch, but she was remained on the doorstep of such an accomplishment, finishing the game with nine points and nine rebounds.

However, all of these contributions were enough to eclipse the Wildcats even despite their 1-15 shooting from behind the arc. Merissah Russell was the only Cardinal to take the lid off from the three-point line as she hit a three from the corner in the second quarter.

Next up for the Cardinals is the Bellarmine Knights on December 14th at 6:30 PM EST.