This Satuday the Louisville Cardinals loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in the Battle of the Bluegrass, making them 10-8 under head coach Jeff Walz in the matchup.

Walz has been open since the season started that the team must start better. While still outscoring their opponents in the first half, there is still a difference between how much they score in the first half vs the second half. 172-218. This game was definitely one to make the change.

Kentucky pulled away from the Cards early with an 11-2 lead, Louisville’s only basket coming from Taijianna Roberts, who shortly after put up a mid-range jumper and a score from beyond the arc.

Five minutes into the game and before the first time-out called by Jeff Walz, Louisville has caused two turnovers from the Wildcats.

After the time-out, the Cards put on the pressure, causing three more turnovers in less than 3 minutes. With 1:33 left in the first quarter, the Cards led 16-15.

It was noticeable that Grace Starks, who leads the Wildcats in PPG, was being denied in the paint by the Cardinals. At the end of the first, the Wildcats led 19-18.

Roberts continued right where she left off in the first, driving into the paint off the fast break, stepping beyond the arc for a deep three, or mid-range jumper. Just 13 minutes into the game, Roberts had 17 PTS.

At 6:45 left in the half, the Cards led 27-21. But after 3 unsuccessful trips down the court and 3 turnovers, the Wildcats tied the game back up with 4:41 left, leading to a Jeff Walz timeout.

By the end of the first half, Louisville trailed the Wildcats 37-35. The Cardinals are being led by Roberts with 19 PTS.

It was apparent that the Wildcats made a change at halftime. After almost 6 minutes in the 3rd quarter, the Cats were outscoring the Cardinals 14-4. At the first stoppage and time-out by Jeff Walz, Kentucky led 51-39.

Out of the timeout, the Cardinals still struggled to get their shots to fall. The Wildcats on a 17-2 run over a 7:39 period, the Cards trailed 57-39 with 1:05 left in the 3rd. With a mid-range jumper made by Laura Ziegler, the end of the 3rd quarter score was 57 Kentucky, 41 Cardinals.

Until a Kentucky timeout at 7:14, the Cardinals are on a 8-0 run in the fourth quarter. Despite outscoring the Wildcats in the foruth, the third quarter 20-6 difference was just too vast for the Cardinals to overcome.

The final score was 72-62, with Taijianna Roberts leading the Cardinals with 22 PTS.

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