Lots of warmth and fuzzies on Teddy Bear Night at the KFC Yum! Center on Thursday. Fans bringing dozens of Teddy bears for underprivileged kids, tossing them onto the Denny Crum floor with their generous donations. Also, a cause for reunion between Coach Jeff Walz and former UofL star Monique Reid, who joined the Bellarmine College women’s basketball team as an assistant this season. The holiday season can’t be far behind or can it?
Not yet for the University of Louisville women’s basketball team, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Not before Thanksgiving, thank you.
The Louisville women having no mercy on the visitors from Bellarmine University, erupting for a 24-6 lead before the Knights knew what hit them. The Cardinals would extend their lead to 48-9 at the half and never look back. Total domination with a 111-33 crushing, improving Louisville’s record to 3-0 for the season. Enjoy it, Cards’ fans, this will be an aberration.
Sydney Taylor would lead the way for UofL with 15 total points. The Cardinals had eight players in double figures for the first time in program history. Taylor shot 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc while tallying a team-high four assists and two steals. Nyla Harris was a close second in scoring with 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from the line. Harris added three rebounds and a steal.
Alexia Mobley scored a career-high 12 points and was perfect from the field and the free throw line. The sophomore pulled down four rebounds and contributed two steals.
Freshman Elif Istanbulluoglu notched her first career double-double with 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. It was the first double-double by a freshman since Olivia Cochran tallied 13 points and 15 rebounds against Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament in 2021.
Bellarmine’s nine first half points is the third-fewest allowed in a first half in program history. This is the second-straight year they have allowed single-digit points to Bellarmine in the first half with eight last season.
