Cardinals Guard Play Has Eyes On Title Run

Winston-Salem, NC – This past week, the Louisville Cardinals received their first number 1 overall ranking in the country in school history. Sometimes it’s hard to say what makes a team so tough to beat but for the Cardinals, it’s how dangerous their offense can be and their outstanding guard play.

The Cardinal offense has scored almost 1100 points total this season and has averaged 84.4 points per game which leads the ACC. Throughout their first 13 games, they have been shooting  49% from the field which leads the ACC, and have only turned the ball over 13 times per game which also sits at the top of the ACC.

It all starts with senior guard Dana Evans who has been averaging 19.5 points per game, which leads the ACC. All the talk around the ACC going into this season was how was Evans going to continue her high level of play, after receiving ACC player of the year last season. So far she has picked up right where she left off last season, as she has scored at least 20 points in nine of the Cardinal’s 13 games.

Not only has Evans been scoring the ball at a ramped pace, but her passing has also been outstanding as well as she ranks third in the ACC, dishing out 4.6 assists per game. Evans has 60 total assists this season, which ranks second only one behind Syracuse’s Tiana Mangakahia.

Not only has Evans been great, but another key contributor for the Cardinals has been freshman superstar Hailey Van Lith, who has stepped up huge for the Cardinal offense. The five-foot-seven Wenatchee, Washington native has been averaging 13.2 points per game as well as grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game.

In their first game with the number one overall ranking, the Cardinals took down the Syracuse Orange 67-54. Evans scored 21 points and dished out 7 assists and Van Lith scored 18 points, all coming from behind the three-point line, and grabbed eight rebounds.

With the exceptional guard play of Evans and Van Lith, the Cardinals are not only thinking ACC title, but also a shot at the NCAA Championship. The biggest test for the Cardinals in the ACC will be a matchup with the North Carolina State Wolfpack on February 1st in a game that will be televised on ESPN at 7 pm.

In their most recent contest, the Cardinals snuck out of Winston-Salem with a 65-63 victory over the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons. Dana Evans secured the win for the Cardinals, by knocking down a jumper and a free throw with nine seconds left. Evans led the Cardinals in the game with 25 points.

Louisville looks to keep their hot season going as they host the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday, January 27th at 4 pm.