Boise State women provide first-half ‘punch’ in rare home matchup with No. 5 Louisville

In 19 homes games last season, the Louisville women’s basketball team had an average attendance of 7,836 fans.

Cardinals coach Jeff Walz would like to see that number grow, and not just at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

That’s part of the reason Walz and his fifth-ranked Cardinals will be on the road for their first five games of the season.

While the Cardinals have been handing out losses, they’re also providing a hand up to the mid-major programs they visit, and Boise State was the latest benefactor.

Fueled by their largest crowd in nearly 12 years, the Broncos kept Louisville on its toes for the opening 20 minutes before the Cardinals used a second-half surge to pull away for a 74-55 victory Monday night at Taco Bell Arena.

The 4,125 fans in attendance were the most for a Boise State women’s game since the Broncos drew 4,518 for a matchup against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 3, 2007.

“I hope the fans keep coming out like this. They have a really, really good women’s basketball program here,” Walz said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of things to do here in Boise, the same as in Louisville, but you’re getting top quality basketball, and they’re fun to watch.

“The way they can shoot the basketball. They spread the floor. They play uptempo, this should be a 3,000 to 4,000 (crowd) every single night that they play, because they’re that good.”

And Walz certainly knows a good team when he sees one. Under Walz, the Cardinals have been to three Final Fours and made two national championship appearances. With a resume like that, the Cardinals could just as easily schedule all of their nonconference games on their home court.

Instead, they’re starting the season with games at Western Kentucky, UT Chattanooga and Boise State, then heading to Las Vegas for the Southpoint Shootout.

“It’s amazing that Jeff comes out here and plays us,” Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said. “Final Four teams don’t have to do that.”

Monday’s game was the second meeting in 2018 between the two schools. Top-seeded Louisville eliminated 16th-seeded Boise State 74-42 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March.

“They definitely scouted us better, even playing them last year at halftime it was a 10-point game,” Louisville senior Asia Durr said. “We got a great first punch in the first half, and they didn’t quit fighting.”

Boise State (3-1) kept pace with Louisville throughout the first half. The Broncos got out to a 5-0 lead and were up 12-11 after the first quarter. The Broncos led 28-24 with 2:06 remaining until halftime after back-to-back 3-pointers from Braydey Hodgins, but the Cardinals used a 7-0 run to close out the half with a 31-28 advantage.

Louisville didn’t let off the gas at the start of the third quarter, outscoring the Broncos 7-1 for a 38-29 lead.

“Their third quarters are just legendary,” Presnell said. “...I think we held them to 22 in that quarter, which was a positive, but we just didn’t get back in it. We fatigued out a little bit and had some cramping. But they’re just really good, and (Walz) does a great job. There’s a reason they’ve gone to three Final Fours.”

Durr, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, finished with a game-best 20 points, including a 4-for-7 performance from 3-point range. Three of Durr’s triples came in the second half, and her 3-pointer with about 1:15 remaining in the third quarter helped neutralize the effects of back-to-backs 3s from Boise State’s Riley Lupfer.

“We couldn’t keep them from hitting threes,” Presnell said. “... Every time I thought we might get back into it, like really make a run, they’d hit just a dagger three.”

With only a three-point advantage at halftime, the Cardinals (3-0) outscored the Broncos 43-27 in the second half to squash the Broncos’ hopes of an upset. The 19-point margin of victory is the closest game they’ve had this season.

“Right now, I think they’re far, far from a 16 seed,” Walz said. “I’m really impressed with them. It’s a very well-rounded ball club.”

Hodgins led the defending Mountain West regular-season and tournament champions with 12 points, and Lupfer added 11 points. Both players also hit three 3-pointers. Senior Joyce Harrell added nine points and seven rebounds for the Broncos (3-1), and Marta Hermida and Jayde Christopher chipped in seven points apiece.

“We’re not content with the outcome,” Hodgins said.

The Broncos were chosen as the preseason favorites in the Mountain West, and they’re vying for their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons. Before playing Louisville, they had outscored their first three opponents by a combined 123 points.

But Presnell saw his Broncos reach a new gear against the Cardinals.

“More than anything, I know what level we can get to,” Presnell said. “Now we’ve got to drive these guys to get to that level consistently.”

This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 9:04 PM.