Belmont Bruins at Louisville Cardinals

No. 5 Louisville cruises past Belmont 73-50 in home opener

Asia Durr and Ciera Johnson scored 18 points apiece as the Cardinals beat Belmont 73-50 in the home opener on Sunday.

Mariya Moore added 13 points and six assists for Louisville (2-0), which shot 47.7 percent from the field, compared with 32 percent for Belmont (1-1). The Cardinals had 21 assists, surpassing 20 for the second consecutive game.

"I was pleased with how we passed the basketball, I thought we took care of it well," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. "Everybody is a threat to score on the team and that is what helps us."

After scoring a career-high of 24 points on Friday, Durr continued her hot start to her sophomore year with 7 of 12 shooting, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range.

Louisville opened the game 7 of 10 from the field and took a 10-point first quarter lead.

In the second quarter, Belmont cut Louisville's lead to nine after a 7-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Kylee Smith. Walz called a timeout and the Cardinals ended the final 4:16 of the first half on a 15-2 run.

"When you have players like Asia, Mariya and BJ (Briahanna Jackson) it makes it a lot easier (to score) because it was one-on-one in the post," Johnson said.

Despite the 23-point win, Walz was not satisfied with his team's performance on the glass, in particular Louisville's offense rebounding, or lack thereof.

"We have to get better at it," Walz said. "Getting out-rebounded by 20 isn't too impressive."

Smith scored a team-high 13 points for Belmont.

BIG PICTURE

Belmont: The Bruins return five starters and their top nine scorers from their NCAA Tournament team last year, but they had trouble scoring against the Cardinals' length and pressure defense. Belmont won't face many teams with Louisville's length and size in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Bruins were selected as the OVC's preseason No. 1 team.

Louisville: After making seven 3-pointers on Friday, Durr made four on Sunday, scoring 11 points in the first period. Possibly overshadowed by Durr's performance, Johnson was a force in the low post, going 6 of 7 from the field and 6 of 9 from the free-throw line.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Belmont: The Bruins received four votes in The Associated Press preseason Top 25, but their four votes weren't enough to earn them a ranking. They are unlikely to be ranked after losing to Louisville.

Louisville: Ranked fifth in The Associated Press preseason Top 25, Louisville is expected to stay behind Notre Dame, Baylor, UConn and South Carolina in the poll released Monday.

RETURN TO LOUISVILLE

Before taking the head coach position at Belmont, Cam Newbauer served as an assistant at Louisville under Walz from 2011-13. Newbauer coached alongside Walz during Louisville's 2013 run to the national championship.

UP NEXT

Belmont: Continues its four-game road trip to begin the season, playing Troy on Wednesday.

Louisville: Will play its third consecutive game against a team from Tennessee, going on the road against Middle Tennessee State on Wednesday. Louisville and Middle Tennessee last met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2013, where the Cardinals won 74-49.

How can I watch Bruins vs. Cardinals?

• TV Channel: Bruins vs Cardinals 2021 College Basketball, week 1, is broadcasted on ACC Extra.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Location: Louisville, KY
Attendance: 8,347 | Capacity: