The No. 18/17 Louisville women’s basketball team (9-1) is gearing up for a showdown against in-state rival Morehead State (4-5) on Wednesday. The Cardinals will host the Eagles at the KFC Yum! Center in one of their last non-conference games of the season. The game will be available for streaming on the ACC Network Extra.
Louisville enters Wednesday’s game on a five-game winning streak, including a 73-61 victory over rival Kentucky. Head coach Jeff Walz secured his 450th career win in that game, solidifying his position as the program’s winningest head coach.
Senior Olivia Cochran reached a significant milestone in the victory as well, scoring her 1,000th career point. She became the 33rd player in program history to achieve this feat and the 14th player under Walz to do so. With the win, Cochran and fellow senior Merissah Russell improved their record to 4-0 against Kentucky during their careers.
In the win over Kentucky, several newcomers to the rivalry made a substantial impact. Eylia Love led the team with 14 points, while Kiki Jefferson scored double digits for the fifth consecutive game with 11 points. Sydney Taylor also contributed with 13 points, including three shots from behind the arc. Nyla Harris, playing in her second Battle for the Bluegrass game, scored 13 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, and had three steals.
Morehead State enters the matchup with a 4-5 record, coming off a 53-49 victory over Wheeling. Last season, the Eagles finished 11-20 overall. Although they fell to the Crimson Tide earlier this season, their three-point shooting has been a strength, leading the OVC and ranking 59th in the country with 7.9 three-pointers made per game. Morehead State also excels at offensive rebounding, averaging 15.3 per game, which ranks 31st nationally.
This will be the 28th meeting between Louisville and Morehead State, with Louisville leading the series 16-11. The Cardinals are 8-4 against the Eagles in games played at home. However, the two teams have not faced each other since the 2008-2009 season.
In their last meeting, Louisville cruised to a 66-38 victory over Morehead State. Angel McCoughtry led the Cardinals with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Candyce Bingham added 13 points. Louisville dominated the Eagles in all aspects of the game, limiting them to 19 percent shooting and outrebounding them 64-35.
Fans can stay updated on Louisville women’s basketball by visiting GoCards.com or following the team’s social media accounts on Instagram (@LouisvilleWBB), Twitter (@LouisvilleWBB), and Facebook (facebook.com/louisvillewbb).
