by LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville women’s basketball team is heading north this week to compete in the program’s sixth NCAA Sweet 16, facing No. 7-seed Dayton on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.
The March 28 contest will air on ESPN, with Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline) on the call. The radio broadcast will be available on WKRD 790 AM in Louisville, with Matt Andrews (play-by-play) and Adrienne Johnson (analyst) calling the action.
No. 3-seed Louisville opened NCAA Tournament play with an 86-53 rout of BYU in the first round and then a hard-fought 60-52 victory over No. 25 USF on its home floor, boosting its record to 27-6 on the season. The Cardinals’ 27 wins are tied for fourth most in a season in school history.
Last time out, Louisville held USF to 35.4 percent from the field and outrebounded the Bulls 45-32. The Cardinals scored 22 points off of USF’s 16 turnovers. Jude Schimmel finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists, with 10 of her points coming in the second half. Myisha Hines-Allen added 12, and Mariya Moore had 11 points.
For the season, Moore continues to pace the Cardinals in scoring (13.5), 3-pointers (62), and free throws (119), and is second with 120 assists. Hines-Allen, who has scored in double figures in 20 games, is averaging 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds.Sara Hammond is contributing 10.5 points and 6.4 rebounds. Defensively, both Bria Smith (70) and Schimmel (73) have totaled more than 70 steals this year.
Dayton, a No. 7 seed, heads to the NCAA Sweet 16 after a 78-66 win over Iowa State and then a 99-94 upset of No. 2-seed Kentucky in Lexington. The Flyers shot a stellar 55.6 percent from the field and knocked down 11 3-pointers and 28 of its 31 free throws in the victory over the Wildcats.
Ally Malott had a team-high 28 points and 13 rebounds, and Amber Deane added 23 points to advance the regional semifinal.
The Flyers (27-6) fell just shy of securing the Atlantic 10’s automatic berth, losing to George Washington 75-62 in the A-10 Championship. Dayton finished second in its conference standings with a 14-2 league mark. Six players were recognized for postseason awards, including Malott (first team), Amber Deane (A-10 Sixth Player of the Year), Kelley Austria (defensive team), and Jenna Burdette (rookie team).
Andrea Hoover is pacing the Flyers in scoring (17.3), assists (103), 3-pointers (74), and free throws (143). She ranks second on the team in steals with 53. Mallott is contributing 15.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and Deane is the only other double-digit scorer at 10.5 points per game. Jodie Cornelie has totaled an impressive 87 blocks (2.6 average) this year.
Dayton is under the direction of 12th-year coach Jim Jabir, who has guided the program to a 237-139 record. The Flyers are making their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and reached their first Sweet 16 in school history. The Flyers have a 4-5 record in the NCAA Tournament.
GAME FACTS – No. 3-seed Louisville vs. No. 7-seed Dayton
Date: Saturday, March 28
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Site: Times Union Center (17,500), Albany, N.Y.
TV: ESPN will broadcast the game, with Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline) calling the action.
Radio: WKRD 790 AM will broadcast the game, with Matt Andrews (play-by-play) and Adrienne Johnson (analyst) calling the action.
Series History: Louisville leads 8-5 (5-2 in Louisville, 3-3 in Dayton).
Last Meeting: Louisville defeated Dayton 69-55 on Dec. 11, 2010, in Louisville, Ky.
