Tajianna Roberts Hits a Career-High Six 3s as No. 7 Louisville Beats Southern Indiana 80-57

EVANSVILLE, Ind. Tajianna Roberts found her range early on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 8, and never lost it. The Louisville junior hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 20 points as No. 7 Louisville closed its opening week with an 80-57 win at Southern Indiana at Liberty Arena.

Imari Berry added 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, Zamareya Jones had 13 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals, and freshman Ariyana Cradle scored 12 on 6 of 7 shooting. That made four Louisville guards in double figures, according to the school. The Cardinals also made all 11 of their free throws.

Louisville moved to 3-0 and Southern Indiana fell to 0-3. Here is the box score (opens in a new tab) and Louisville's recap (opens in a new tab).

A slow start, then two 10-0 runs

Neither team looked sharp early. Both were playing their third game in the season's opening week, and Louisville leaned on trips to the free throw line while its offense found a rhythm, according to the school.

The first separation came midway through the first quarter. Louisville put together a 10-0 run and held the Screaming Eagles without a point for more than three minutes, then took a 22-15 lead after 10 minutes.

The second quarter followed the same pattern. Louisville ripped off another 10-0 run, capped by Roberts' third 3-pointer of the afternoon. Then, as the half wound down, Roberts and Berry worked the ball until Berry found an open look and buried a 3 at the buzzer, according to the school. That shot sent the Cardinals into the locker room up 42-27.

Roberts had 14 points and four 3-pointers by halftime. Berry had eight points and four rebounds, and Jones had eight points and three assists. Louisville went 8 of 8 at the line in the half.

Roberts sets a career high

Roberts kept shooting after the break. Two more 3-pointers in the third quarter pushed her to six for the game, a career high, according to the AP and Louisville. Roberts finished 6 of 15 from the floor and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, with all six of her made field goals coming from 3, and went 2 of 2 at the line in 25 minutes.

That kind of volume from deep is what makes Louisville's offense hard to guard. Roberts took 11 of the team's 32 3-point attempts and made more than half of them. When she is hitting at that rate, opponents have to extend their defense, and that opens the floor for Louisville's drivers.

It was the third straight double-figure game of the season for Roberts, who had 15 against Bellarmine and 14 against Stetson earlier in the week.

Berry takes over the third quarter

Berry's hot hand arrived in the third quarter. Berry hit three 3-pointers in the period, according to the AP, and three of Berry's four 3s for the game came after halftime, according to the school. Louisville made 5 of 9 from deep in the third quarter, won it 26-12 and carried a 68-39 lead into the fourth.

Berry finished with 19 points on 7 of 13 shooting, 4 of 9 from 3 and 1 of 1 at the line in a team-high 29 minutes, and did not commit a turnover. Six rebounds and four assists made it one of the most complete lines on the floor.

Jones was again the connector. Jones scored 13 on 4 of 11 shooting, made all four free throws, and led Louisville with six assists to go with five rebounds and three steals in 23 minutes. Four of Jones' five rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Cradle stays perfect in double figures

Cradle continues to make a strong case for more minutes. The freshman made 6 of 7 shots for 12 points with four rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench, and she reached double figures early in the fourth quarter. That made it three double-figure games in three college games for Cradle, who scored 10 against Bellarmine and 11 against Stetson, according to the school. Across those three games, Cradle has made 14 of 22 shots from the floor.

The rest of the bench was quieter. Deniya Prawl scored eight points on 3 of 7 shooting with four rebounds, and Grace Mbugua added two points and four rebounds. Ayse Melek Demirer had two blocks in 10 minutes.

Not every starter had a good afternoon. Carys Baker went 0 for 5, all from 3, though Baker still contributed four rebounds, three steals and a block in 25 minutes. Amiya Joyner made 2 of 8 shots for six points but grabbed nine rebounds, four of them offensive, and blocked two shots. Neither Elif Istanbulluoglu nor Mackenly Randolph appeared in the box score.

Southern Indiana shoots well but runs short on chances

Southern Indiana actually shot a higher percentage than Louisville. The Screaming Eagles made 23 of 49 from the floor, 46.9 percent, compared with Louisville's 29 of 71, 40.8 percent. The problem was volume. Louisville took 22 more shots, thanks largely to a 20-5 edge in offensive rebounds and an 18-12 edge in turnovers forced.

Louisville outrebounded Southern Indiana 43-27 overall. Those extra possessions are a big part of why the margin grew even on a day when Louisville's shooting percentage was ordinary.

Channah Gannon and Sophia Loden led Southern Indiana with nine points apiece. Channah Gannon made 4 of 6 shots and handed out four assists, and Loden went 6 of 6 at the free throw line. Tamara Ortiz scored eight on 4 of 6 shooting, and Amiyah Buchanan and Lily Graves each scored six, with Graves hitting two 3-pointers.

Chloe Gannon played 22 minutes and pulled down a team-high four rebounds with four points, and Ella Bobe added three points and a block. Shannon Blacher went 1 of 6 from the floor in 21 minutes. Southern Indiana made only 4 of 14 from 3 and 7 of 10 at the line, and Louisville held it to five offensive rebounds all afternoon.

The Screaming Eagles did win the fourth quarter 18-12 as Louisville rotated its reserves in, and they finished with 13 assists on 23 field goals.

What it means for Louisville

Three games into the season, Louisville is 3-0 with wins by 72, 52 and now 23 points. The Cardinals have also won 10 straight road games dating to last season, according to the school.

This was the most competitive of the three, and it showed a different side of the team. Against Bellarmine and Stetson, the defense produced turnovers in bunches. Against Southern Indiana, Louisville forced 18 and won with perimeter shooting, 11 of 32 from 3, and second chances on the offensive glass.

The free throw line was a welcome change. After going 15 of 26 against Bellarmine and 17 of 26 against Stetson, Louisville was a perfect 11 of 11 in Evansville, with Jones, Roberts, Joyner, Prawl and Berry all making every attempt.

The concern is the frontcourt scoring. Baker has gone scoreless in back-to-back games, 0 for 14 from the floor combined against Stetson and Southern Indiana, and Joyner shot 2 of 8. With Istanbulluoglu and Randolph out of the box score, the guards are carrying the offense. That works when Roberts and Berry are hitting from deep, and it will be tested when they are not.

Louisville returns home to host Lindenwood on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center in the annual Salute to Service game, streamed on ACC Network Extra. Southern Indiana hosts Spalding on Thursday.

Sources: ESPN box score, Louisville Athletics recap, Associated Press.

Photo: Louisville Athletics.