The Louisville women’s basketball team is gearing up to finish off their home stretch this Sunday against Bucknell. The Cardinals, ranked No. 19/15 and currently undefeated with a 3-0 record, will be facing Bucknell for the first time in program history. The game will take place at 4 p.m. ET and will be nationally televised on ACC Network.
In their last game, the Cardinals made history with a resounding 111-33 victory over local rival Bellarmine. The 78-point winning margin was the largest in the Jeff Walz era and the second largest in program history. Not only that, but the Cardinals had eight players score in double figures, setting a new program record. This feat surpassed the previous record of seven players, which was set in 2017 against Tennessee State.
Individually, freshman Elif Istanbulluoglu stood out with her first double-double of her collegiate career, tallying 10 points and 12 rebounds. She becomes the first Louisville freshman since Olivia Cochran in the 2021 NCAA Tournament to achieve a double-double. In the previous game against DePaul, Nyla Harris also recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Defensively, the Cardinals stifled Bellarmine by only allowing nine points in the first half, marking the third-fewest points allowed in a first half in program history. Last season, they tied the program record by only allowing eight points in the first half against the Knights.
Turning the attention to Bucknell, they enter Sunday’s contest with a 1-2 record. After opening the season with road losses against Penn State and Temple, they secured their first win against FDU this past Wednesday. Last season, Bucknell finished with a 13-17 overall record and went 9-9 in Patriot League play.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Louisville and Bucknell in program history. The Cardinals have only faced two current opponents from the Patriot League, with their most recent matchup against Lafayette happening in 2016, resulting in a dominant 92-48 victory.
Fans can stay updated on Louisville women’s basketball by visiting GoCards.com or following the team’s social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
