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Chattanooga-Louisville Preview (Mar 14, 2017)
When Louisville and Chattanooga met in late November, the game was over in a matter of minutes and the final score wasn't even close.
But Lady Mocs coach Jim Foster has seen his team grow considerably since then and expects a different outcome when the teams meet again Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.
"We weren't a very good basketball team the last time we played them, and I feel we're a pretty good team this time," Foster told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Monday.
The No. 13 ranked and fourth-seeded Cardinals (27-7, 12-4 in ACC) face 13th-seeded Chattanooga (21-10, 12-2 in Southern) for the eighth time ever at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
The Lady Mocs lead the all-time series 5-2, but fell behind 19-5 early in their November meeting and eventually lost 63-47 in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge.
Mariya Moore had nine points and seven assists and Myisha Hines-Allen added seven points and 10 rebounds to pace the Cardinals.
In their second meeting in the Oklahoma City bracket, Hines-Allen anticipates facing a team that's out for revenge.
"Just because we beat them before, we can't take Chattanooga lightly," Hines-Allen told The Courier-Journal. "Since we beat them before, they're going to be coming in here looking to beat us and surprise us."
The Cardinals won seven of their last eight games before an 84-73 loss to third-ranked Notre Dame in the ACC tournament semifinals on March 4.
Asia Durr is Louisville's leading scorer, averaging 18.8 points. Hines-Allen is second in scoring while boasting a team-best 9.2 average on the boards.
Moore is the Cardinals' only other double-digit scorer, averaging 12.1 points. and leads the team with an average of 4.8 assists.
Louisville is making its 20th NCAA Tournament appearance and the ninth in 10 seasons under coach Jeff Walz. Since his hiring in 2007-08, the Cardinals are 21-8 in tournament play and advanced to the Final Four in both 2009 and 2013.
Chattanooga is coming off a 61-59 win over Mercer to win its fifth straight Southern Conference title and 18th overall. The Lady Mocs are riding a six-game winning streak.
Jasmine Joyner has established herself as a force in the middle as the top rim protector in the country.
She leads the country in blocks with 122 (3.9 per game) and is also Chattanooga's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 13.2 points and 10.6 rebounds.
Joyner was named the Southern Defensive Player of the Year.
Lakelyn Bouldin averages 10.3 points and Chelsey Shumpert posts averages of 10.9 points and a team-high three assists for the Lady Mocs, who are making their 15th Tournament appearance.
One factor that might do the Cardinals in is their poor ball handling as of late. Louisville has averaged 16.2 turnovers per game in their last nine contests.
"We can't do that if we want to advance," Walz said.
