After downing Miami (Ohio) in the home opener, University of Louisville women’s basketball continues its six-game homestand when they host Nebraska in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET.
The Cardinals are off to a 6-0 start, which marks the third straight season that they have started at least 6-0. They started off 6-0 in 2016-17 and a school-record 20-0 in 2017-18.
Last season, the ACC went 10-4 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The ACC is 8-0-3 in the challenge. UofL is 3-1 in the ACC/B1G Challenge. 2017 – Louisville 72, Indiana 59 (at IU); 2016 – Maryland 78, Louisville 72 (at UL); 2015 – Louisville 85, Michigan State 78 (at MSU); 2014 – Louisville 86, Iowa 52 (at UL)
Asia Durr had two 3-pointers (2-6) in the win over Miami, giving her an even 300 3-pointers for her career. She is only the second player in program history with 300 3-pointers. She ranks second behind Shoni Schimmel, who has 387 career 3-pointers. As a sophomore, she connected on 119 3-pointers, which ranked second nationally and set school record. She had 115 3-pointers last season.
With 33 points at Western Kentucky, 24 at Chattanooga, 20 at Boise State and 20 vs. Hartford, Durr has nine career 30-point games and 41 career 20-point games.
Louisville recorded a season-high 16 steals in the 95-73 win over Miami (Ohio). It marked the most steals in a game since they had 16 vs. Bowling Green (W, 83-58) and Lafayette (W, 92-48) in back-to-back games on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20, 2016. Last year, they had a season-high 15 steals vs. Murray State (W, 115-51) on Nov. 24, 2017. The Cards are averaging 10 steals per game and have had at least seven in every game.
Dana Evans is tied for third on the team with 8.5 points per game and is averaging a team-high 5.5 assists. After starting the first two games, she has come off the bench the last four. In the last three games, she is averaging 12.0 points and has 18 assists to just four turnovers. She has led the team in assists in four of six games. She had a season-high 14 points and a team-high six assists vs. Miami. She had 11 points and six assists, including the game-winning dish to Sam Fuehring with 2.5 seconds to go vs. ASU. She scored eight of her 11 points in the fourth quarter. She then had 11 points and a team-high six assists and three steals vs. Hartford. She recorded nine assists at UTC, which was one shy of her career-high of 10 at Kentucky (12/17/17).
Bionca Dunham has started the last four games after getting her first career start vs. Boise State on 11/19. On the season, she is averaging 7.8 points, while shooting 19-29 (.655) from the floor, and pulling down 3.2 rebounds. Against Miami (Ohio), she finished with a season-high 15 points on 7-10 shooting, while adding a team-high and career-high four steals.
Kylee Shook is tied for third on the team with 8.5 points per game, while shooting 6-12 (.500) from downtown and pulling down 4.0 rebounds. She also leads the team with six blocks. She scored a season-high and team-high 17 points, 6-9 from the floor and 1-3 from 3-pt range, while adding a season-high six rebounds, including five offensive boards, in the win over Miami (Ohio).
Head coach Jeff Walz was an assistant at Nebraska from 1997 to 2001. This will mark the second time that he has faced his former team. The Cards downed the Cornhuskers 65-51 on Dec. 20, 2010 in Las Vegas.
Prior to the game, Louisville’s 2018 NCAA Final Four Banner will be unveiled.
ABOUT THE CORNHUSKERS
Last season, Nebraska finished the season with a 22-11 overall record, 11-5 in the Big Ten, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 7 seed Arizona State, 73-62 in the first round. They return four starters from that team and have opened the season with a 2-3 record. Their three losses are to Drake, 83-77, at Washington State in double overtime, 87-84, and at No. 21 Miami, 82-68. Their wins have come against USC Upstate, 87-64, and Radford, 77-39. They have eight players averaging more than 7.2 points per game. Freshman guard Sam Haiby leads them in scoring with 11.4 points per game, while sophomore guard Taylor Kissinger is second with 9.6 points per game and ranks second in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 66.7 (12-18).
Series History – Louisville is 2-1 all-time against the Cornhuskers and 1-0 at home. This will mark the first matchup between the two teams since that matchup in Las Vegas. They met twice in non-conference play in 1998-99 when Walz was an assistant at Nebraska. The Huskers defeated Louisville 62-61 at the Rainbow Wahine Classic on Nov. 29, 1998. Louisville then knocked off the Huskers 77-66 at the Seelbach Holiday Classic at Freedom Hall on Dec. 29, 1998.
Date: Thursday, Nov. 29
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center
Louisville, Ky. (22,000)
Radio: WKRD-790, Nick Curran, play-by-play; Adrienne Johnson, analyst
Video: ACCNE, Don Russell, play-by-play; Sara White, analyst
Promotion: 2018 Final Four Banner Ceremony
Last Meeting: W, 65-51 (Dec. 20, 2010 in Las Vegas)
Series History: 2-1 (1-0 Home, 0-2 Away, 1-1 Neutral)
UofL National Ranking: 5th Associated Press, 4th USA Today
Officials: Dee Kantner, Eric Brewton, Mark Resch
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