LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Dana Evans scored 17 of her 24 points in the second half, Olivia Cochran added 18 and No. 2 Louisville used balanced scoring to pull away for an 89-70 victory over Boston College on Thursday night.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Cardinals (11-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who had to work into the fourth quarter to finally gain a cushion against the stubborn Eagles (5-6, 1-6). Louisville led 68-56 entering the quarter and used a 14-6 run over 5:12 for a 20-point lead on the way toward improving to 8-0 against BC in ACC play.
Evans began 2-of-9 from the field before making her final seven shots to finish 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 5 from long range. Cochran made 6 of 9 shooting and 6 of 8 from the line to come within a point of her career high against DePaul. Hailey Van Lith and Kianna Smith each added 13 points, and Elizabeth Balogun had 11 for the Cardinals.
Evans, a senior All-American guard, believed it was just a matter of time before she warmed up.
“My shots weren’t falling, but what was happening was easy layups,” she said. “My teammates were making shots, and eventually I was going to find my flow.”
Cameron Swartz and Ally VanTimmeren each shot 7 of 13 to score 17 points apiece for the Eagles. They lost for the sixth time in seventh games, all in conference play. BC’s lone ACC win came against Notre Dame on Jan. 7.
BOARD MEETING
Elizabeth Dixon and Cochran each had seven rebounds and Van Lith five for Louisville, which had nine of 11 players grab at least two. A 25-20 advantage on the defensive glass helped provide the slim edge.
Swartz had nine rebounds and VanTimmeren five for BC, which had eight of nine players with at least one rebound.
INJURY REPORT
Louisville junior guard Kianna Smith left the game with 6:24 remaining with a sprained ankle. Coach Jeff Walz said afterward that X-rays were fine and Smith just needed to get the swelling down.
TIP-INS
Louisville finished 10 of 21 from behind the arc, with Evans and Kianna Smith each making three while Van Lith and Balogun adding two apiece. … Four BC players had four fouls each. …
BIG PICTURE
Boston College: Coming off a 20-point loss at Wake Forest, the Eagles succeeded in keeping Louisville from breaking the game open for three quarters. In fact, they got within single digits several times and held their own against Louisville on the boards (32-31). But the Eagles played from behind and couldn’t stop the Cardinals in the fourth quarter.
Louisville: The Cardinals shot well throughout (57%) and turned out needing every basket with BC showing no fear on either end of the floor. Most importantly, their starters took the early lead in scoring before Evans got going with a 3, and they made sure to provide plenty of support.
“We have that ability, and that’s what so impressive,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “We were pretty efficient on the offensive end, and that’s what we have to continue to do. We can shoot at that clip if we’re willing to continue to share the ball.”
UP NEXT
Boston College: At Notre Dame on Sunday.
Louisville: Hosts Florida State on Sunday.
___
More AP women’s basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
___
Poll: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll
Please read our comment policy before commenting.