by LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Looking for more consistency from Myisha Hines-Allen, Louisville coach Jeff Walz benched the freshman forward in hopes of motivating her.
The tactic certainly worked.
Hines-Allen scored a career-high 23 points, making 10 of her 11 shots, to help the No. 4 Cardinals rally to beat Miami 68-55 on Sunday night.
”I think she was really mad that she wasn’t starting,” Walz said. ”Which was part of why I did it. I wanted to see what kind of fight she had.”
After scoring just four points in Thursday’s 68-63 loss at No. 17 Florida State, Hines-Allen picked up her play as Louisville erased a 29-16 first-half deficit.
”It just made me push harder, but I have to play like that every single game,” Hines-Allen said.
Louisville (18-2, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) held Miami to a single field goal in the first 10 1/2 minutes of the second half and built a 56-39 lead with 5:38 to play.
The Cardinals fell behind early for the second straight game, but completed the comeback after failing to score a field goal in the final six minutes of the FSU loss.
Bria Smith added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Jude Schimmel (Umatilla) had 3 points and 4 assists in 31 minutes of play for Louisville.
Adrienne Motley led Miami (15-4, 5-1) with 18 points. The Hurricanes cut Louisville’s lead to 60-53 with 3:07 to play but the Cardinals scored eight straight to cement the win.
Hines-Allen, Louisville’s second leading scorer, came off the bench for just the second time this season and added eight rebounds. Shawnta’ Dyer started in place of Hines-Allen and scored 10 points and had eight rebounds.
Miami scored nine straight after leading 18-14, capped by Michelle Woods layup that drew a foul with 6:04 left in the half. Walz drew a technical foul after the play but Miami failed to capitalize, missing all three ensuing free throws.
The sequence appeared to enliven the Cardinals, holding Miami scoreless for nearly three minutes while scoring 11 straight to cut the lead to 29-27.
”We were getting whooped by Miami and (Coach Walz) had our back,” Dyer said.
Miami led 31-27 at halftime but watched Louisville score the first nine points of the second half in building a 47-34 lead.
”Louisville got tougher,” Miami coach Katie Meier said. ”We had just taken them out of their game and they just woke up.”
Don’t be surprised if Hines-Allen is sitting again when No. 23 Syracuse visits Thursday.
”I wanted her to show me, `Hey, you’re wrong,’ Unfortunately she showed me too well, so she won’t start again on Thursday,” Walz said.
