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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Asia Taylor scored 23 points and No. 5 Louisville held No. 14 LSU scoreless for 5:35 during a 21-0 second-half run en route to an 88-67 rout of the Tigers in Thursday night's semifinal of the preseason WNIT.
Leading 40-38 early in the second half, the Cardinals (3-0) used that run to build an 81-54 lead in a game that figured to be a tough early test for both teams.
Louisville shot 61 percent in the second half while holding LSU (2-1) to just 10 of 32 in the final 20 minutes and 25 of 67 (37 percent) overall.
Taylor was 10 of 16 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds in just her third game after missing last season with a hip injury.
Shoni Schimmel added 15 points, Antonita Slaughter 12 and Sara Hammond and Bria Smith 11 each for the Cardinals, who meet the Oklahoma-Gonzaga winner in Sunday's championship.
Louisville finished 37 of 64 from the field (58 percent), outrebounded LSU 45-33 and dominated the paint 54-26 thanks to quickness that frequently beat the bigger Tigers featuring 6-foot-5 post player Theresa Plaisance.
Plaisance and Raigyne Moncrief scored 13 points each for the Tigers and Jeanne Kenney added 11.
The game began with the crowd of 8,099 a little more festive thanks to a promotion in which Cardinals coach Jeff Walz bought one $2 brew for the first 2,500 spectators at their 22,090-seat downtown arena. Tickets were also discounted from $10 to $6, resulting in longer than usual lines at the concession stands.
From there it was about the Cardinals being more active on defense after Walz called out his team for inconsistent energy in Monday's 100-82 victory over Quinnipiac. In fact, the coach believed many areas needed improvement against a Tigers team featuring Plaisance and a defense that outrebounded Saint Joseph's 50-30 in Sunday's 80-64 victory.
Taylor's 5-of-5 shooting jump-started Louisville's 7-of-9 start that built a 15-6 lead. LSU made it easy by missing 7 of its first 9 from the field and allowing the Cardinals second-chance baskets.
Plaisance was on the bench for several minutes but she returned to help a 30-20 run over the next 12:50 for a 36-35 lead with 2:06 left in the half. Schimmel scored the final five points to give Louisville a 40-36 halftime lead built on 17-of-31 shooting (55 percent).
After Moncrief's quick basket to open the second half brought LSU within 40-38, Louisville turned up the heat at both ends in mounting a 34-16 run for a 74-54 lead and the Cardinals poured it on from there en route to an unexpectedly lopsided outcome.
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