Louisville Races Past BAL Select to Conclude GLOBL JAM Group Play

The Cardinals finish group play with a 2-1 record.

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's basketball team led from start to finish in its 72-39 win over BAL Select Saturday afternoon from the Mattamy Athletic Centre. With the win, the Cardinals closed out group play with a 2-1 record and will await their medal game selection following the completion of all group play later this evening.

The Cardinals had three players in double figures with Hennie van Schaik leading the way with 15 points. Kiki Jefferson had 14 points, a team-high six assists and three rebounds while Sydney Taylor added 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. The Cardinals forced 32 turnovers and had 21 steals, led by a team-high five from Nina Rickards.

After a slow first few minutes of the game, the Cardinals found their groove and opened the game on a 14-1 run fueled by a number of steals on the defensive end. The Cardinals held BAL Select to one point for the seven minutes of the game before they hit their first field goal. At the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals were up 19-4 and they held BAL Select to 1-for-10 shooting from the floor.

The pace slowed a bit in the second quarter but the Cardinals continued to keep their distance from BAL Select as the game neared halftime. Over the final 4:30 of the second quarter, the Cardinals limited BAL Select to just two points. At the half, Louisville held a 35-15 lead.

van Schaik led all scorers with 13 first half points on 5-for-9 shooting and she was 3-for-5 from behind the arc. The Cardinals had 22 rebounds as a team over the first 20 minutes and seven players had multiple boards in the first half. The Cardinals tallied 15 steals and scored 24 points off turnovers in the first half.

The Cardinals attacked the glass in the third quarter and extended a number of possessions with offensive rebounds. On one specific possession, the Cardinals had three offensive rebounds and it ended with a jumper from Jefferson. Jefferson extended another possession in the final minute after she corralled a free throw miss and finished with a lay-up under the basket. At the end of the third quarter, Louisville held a 52-25 lead.

The Cardinals did not let up in the fourth quarter as the lead grew to its largest of the game, 33, as Louisville closed out the win.

With the 33-point win, the Cardinals finish group play with a 2-1 record and await their game selection for the medal round. If Team Canada wins later today, the Cardinals will advance to the Gold Medal game for a rematch with the hosts. If Puerto Rico wins, all three teams will finish with a 2-1 record and tiebreakers will determine who advances to the Gold Medal game. Stay tuned to our social media channels and GoCards.com to see when the Cardinals will play on Sunday in the final day of the 2023 GLOBL JAM.

(Photo of Olivia Cochran: John E. Sokolowski - USA TODAY Sports)

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