Cardinals Set to Face Duke in ACC Home Opener

Louisville, KY – The No. 17/16 Louisville women’s basketball team (12-2, 1-0 ACC) is set to take on the Duke Blue Devils (9-4, 1-1 ACC) in their first home game after the holiday break. The Cardinals, who are currently sitting at 999 program wins, are just one win away from reaching the historic milestone of 1,000 wins. The game will be held at the KFC Yum! Center on Thursday, January 4 at 8 p.m. ET, and will be televised nationally on the ACC Network.

Louisville is coming off an exciting 77-72 road victory against Miami in their ACC opener on New Year’s Eve. This win extended their perfect record in ACC openers to 10-0 since joining the league in 2014-15. It also snapped Miami’s 17-game home winning streak. Jayda Curry and Merissah Russell played pivotal roles in this victory, with Curry leading the team with a season-high 19 points and Russell scoring 11-straight points in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Kiki Jefferson also reached a milestone in the game, surpassing 2,000 career points.

The Cardinals have had success against Duke in the past and currently hold a 7-4 series advantage. They have won five of their last six meetings dating back to the 2017-18 season. However, Duke comes into this game with a four-game winning streak, including a recent 80-75 victory over Boston College. They are known for their shot-blocking ability, ranking third nationally with 7.2 blocks per game. Both teams excel at free throw shooting, with Louisville shooting .776 as a team and Duke right behind at .775. The difference lies in the number of free throw attempts, with Louisville having 299 compared to Duke’s 191.

The Cardinals will be looking to secure their 1,000th program win and continue their winning streak against Duke. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center.