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Louisville, KY -- Bourbon, horse racing and college hoops. It's what we know best in Kentucky. The bluegrass didn't start college basketball, but we perfected it. Saturday, two in-state foes will face off in hopes to prove who is best in the bluegrass.
After a heartbreaking loss in the season opener, the Louisville Cardinals look to bounce back against Western Kentucky University.
Despite being considered an underdog, the WKU Hilltoppers had the best record in the state last season, going 30-5. Under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, the Tops are 35-9 at home.
The 16th-ranked Cardinals showed their youth in a 75-71 loss to Cal. In a battle to the buzzer, the Cardinals fought hard, but couldn't clinch the win.
In the home opener, junior transfer Briahanna Jackson proved to be a superstar. Jackson stuffed the stat sheet, putting up 21 points, six steals, three rebounds, three assists, one monster block and only had one turnover in 31 minutes played. Jackson was named Player of the Game.
The Cardinals forced 27 turnovers, but the inability to score on the turnovers was a determining factor in the loss.
Western Kentucky dropped their season opener in a 74-60 loss to Ball State. Redshirt Junior Kendall Noble recorded her ninth career double-double, scoring ten points and grabbing 11 boards. Freshman Kayla Smith led the team with 13 points in her debut as a Topper.
The Toppers lead the series 19-15, but the Cardinals have won the last four consecutive meetings.
Louisville defeated WKU at home last season, 89-67. Myisha Hines-Allen put up 16 points in the victory. The Cardinals shot 52.1 percent from the field, scoring 23 points off of WKU's 17 turnovers.
The Cardinals and the Tops tip off at 3:30 PM EST.