No. 7 Louisville clobbered Stetson 87-35 on Wednesday night, a 52-point blowout where the Cardinals absolutely put the hammer down. What’s wild is how much of a grind it was early on, especially compared to their season-opening 119-47 thrashing of Bellarmine. This game showed some serious grit and a scary ability to flip the switch when it matters.
Defense Wins Games, Even When the Offense Is Struggling
The Cardinals’ defense was straight-up suffocating from the jump. They forced a ridiculous 30 turnovers from Stetson’s Hatters and converted those into 40 points. Yeah, you read that right: 40 points off turnovers! Louisville didn’t even trail, but their own offense was sputtering. They missed their first six shots and were just 2 of 10 late in the second quarter. At halftime, Louisville was only shooting 35.5% from the field (11 of 31) and had coughed up 12 turnovers themselves. Yet, thanks to that insane defense, they still held a commanding 40-20 lead at the break. Imari Berry led the charge with 16 points, and Taijanna Roberts added 14, including a crucial 3-pointer right before the half.
Second Half Explosion: They Just Found Another Gear
Whatever Coach Jeff Walz said at halftime, it worked. The Cardinals came out of the locker room looking like a completely different team. They went on a ridiculous 28-2 run in the third quarter, hitting on 12 of 13 shots during one 5:42 stretch. Roberts hit a jumper to extend the lead to 68-22 with just 90 seconds left in the third. In the second half alone, Louisville shot a blistering 57.1% (20-for-35) and cut their turnovers way down to just five. Freshman Ariyana Cradle was a beast, dropping 11 points and leading the team with five steals. Zam Jones also put up 11 points, and Amiya Joyner, who transferred from LSU, dominated the boards with 14 rebounds, the most she has grabbed since pulling down 20 for East Carolina back in 2025. It is even more impressive considering Louisville played without two starters, Elif Istanbulluoglu and Mackenly Randolph, who were both banged up from Monday’s game.
What’s Next for the Cardinals
Stetson, who lost their top five scorers from last season’s 20-win WNIT squad, struggled all night, shooting just 23.6% (13-for-55), with Sierra Driessen leading them with 10 points. For Louisville, this win, despite the early offensive hiccups, proves they have layers. They can win ugly, they can win by grinding it out on defense, and they can absolutely turn it on when they need to. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. Next up, Louisville hits the road to face Southern Indiana on Sunday. You know they’ll be looking to keep that momentum going! Stetson travels to Miami on Sunday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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