In recent years, game planning against the Louisville Cardinals was fairly simple: contain forward Angel McCoughtry as best you can and the rest will take care of itself. It wasn't that McCoughtry didn't have a supporting cast, it was simply that said cast didn't do all that great a job of, well, supporting.
However, the Marquette women's basketball team was introduced Wednesday night at Freedom Hall to the latest version of the Louisville squad, one that still showcases the prolific skills of McCoughtry, but one that also offers other capable scoring options.
Louisville defeated the Golden Eagles 79-69 behind the efforts of four players who scored in double figures, two of which recorded double-doubles. McCoughtry, as usual, led the way with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Forward Candyce Bingham provided supplementation in the form of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior guard Krystal Ellis posted 23 points of her own, but for once it was Marquette&mdashnot Louisville—that was reliant upon one player. Freshman forward Paige Fiedorowicz was the only other Golden Eagle to score in double figures. She came off the bench and finished with 13 points.
Ellis said the Cardinals did have more help for McCoughtry on the offensive end this time around, but it was the multiple defenses Louisville threw at Marquette that troubled the players.
"They played every type of defense we've seen so far this season all in one game," Ellis said.
Though Marquette managed to shoot 44.3 percent from the field, Ellis said the players weren't hitting their open shots at crucial moments. At a media timeout with 7:38 remaining in the game, the score was tied 63-63.
The Cardinals then closed out the game on a 16-6 run. During that same stretch, the Golden Eagles shot 2-for-13 from the field.
With the loss, Marquette dropped to 10-8 on the season and 2-3 in Big East play. Six of the Golden Eagles' losses have come away from the Al McGuire Center. Two of the team's next three games are on the road, starting with Saturday night's match-up at South Florida.
"We already know what we have to work on," Ellis said. "Hopefully, we can capitalize on that in the next few days at practice and come out ready to play against South Florida."