Steve Thompson
After a disappointing loss to North Carolina State, the Lady Cardinals were looking for some redemption. Sunday afternoons game was not supposed to be close. Wake Forest came into the game with a 12-7 record, with multiple close game losses contained in their record. Could this be a trap game for Louisville?
The game was the tale of 2 games in one. Wake Forest and Louisville both came out red-hot, scoring 43 combined points in the first quarter, with the Lady Deacons winning quarter number one, 22-21. Then came the defensive onslaught of the Lady Cardinals, as they outscored Wake Forest 23-4 in the second quarter and 19-11 in the third quarter. With a comfortable lead, the Lady Cardinals substituted regularly to give younger players playing time and rest the tired starters.
With Wake Forest seemingly out of this game, they mounted a 23-9 rally in the 4th quarter in route to a 72-60 loss…Herein lies the danger. Louisville technically lost 2 segments of this game against a mid-tier team in the ACC. The ACC is filled with depth and talent this year. Wake Forest beat Florida state in their first meeting 75 – 69, only to have Florida State return the favor in their second meeting 87- 46. Anybody’s game on any given day. Louisville will match-up against 8 top 25 teams in the remainder of the season, including many ACC opponents. They will need to continue to improve game management on the floor, to advance their ultimate goals.
