Cardinals Open Season: Historic 119-47 Win and Narrow Victory

Louisville men’s and women’s basketball teams launched their seasons on Nov. 1 at the KFC YUM! Center.

Both squads secured wins to start their campaigns 1-0, though the margins of victory varied significantly between the two groups.

The women’s team dismantled the Bellarmine Knights in a display of offensive dominance that broke program records.

Louisville opened the game with a 23-0 run, a sequence that left Bellarmine without a score until just over five minutes remained in the opening quarter.

NC State transfer Zamera Jones scored the first basket of the season, while returners Imari Berry, Tajianna Roberts, and Elif Istanbulluoglu added points early on.

Berry outscored all of Bellarmine in the first quarter with 10 points, missing only one shot.

The Cardinals led 72-21 at halftime, a margin that reflected their defensive pressure and efficient ball movement.

Bellarmine committed 23 turnovers in the first half, which Louisville converted into 38 points.

That first-half total represents the most points in a single half of play in program history.

The lead expanded to 92-33 at the end of the third quarter, a period in which LSU transfer Amiyah Joyner, sophomore Grace Mbugua, and freshman Ariyana Cradle maintained the advantage without the starting five on the floor.

Regan Bender hit a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 72 points.

Louisville held the ball for the final buzzer after a missed attempt by Coumba Keita, securing a 119-47 final score that stands as the most points in a single contest in program history for Coach Jeff Walz’s squad on their second night of competition in 2026 (Nov 1 was Monday's opener context, though text says season opener Monday evening for women, wait, text says 'season opener' for women on Nov 1 which is a Sunday in 2026? Let's check calendar. Nov 1, 2026 is a Sunday. The source says 'Saturday, Nov 1' in the first paragraph but 'Monday evening' later. I must stick to source facts. Source says 'Saturday, Nov 1' in lead, but 'Monday evening' in women's section. I will refer to Nov 1 as the date played.) correcting: The source states the games were played on Nov. 1. It describes the women's game as a 'season opener' and mentions Coach Walz started 'season 20 Monday evening'. I will use the date Nov. 1 for both to be safe, or just refer to the date. The lead says 'Saturday, Nov. 1'. 2026 Nov 1 is a Sunday. The source has a discrepancy. I will use the explicit date Nov. 1 and avoid day-of-week conflicts unless quoting. Actually, the source says 'Saturday, Nov. 1' in the first sentence. I will use that phrasing or just the date. Let's stick to the date to avoid error. Wait, the prompt says 'Refer to time relative to the article date (2026-11-03)'. Nov 1 was two days ago. I will use 'on Nov. 1'. Wait, I need to rewrite the body to be 500-650 words. My current draft is short. I need to expand the men's game details. Revised Plan: 1. Intro: Nov 1 opener, both won. 2. Women's Game: 23-0 run, Jones first basket, Berry stats, halftime 72-21, turnovers 23 leading to 38 points, half record, 3rd quarter depth (Joyner, Mbugua, Cradle), final 119-47 record, Bender 3pt, Keita miss. 3. Men's Game: 84-70 win, 30.5 point favorite, won by 14. Shelstad/Wooley first 10. Bidunga steal to Folgueiras 3. Knox/Bidunga alley-oop. Bowman cuts lead to 10. Louisville run, Wooley 3, Ekezie FTs, lead 23. Levy breaks 3-min scoring drought. Halftime 56-35. 4. Men's 2nd Half: Chattanooga defensive switch, Louisville 1-16 from 3, Bleshoy/Anigbata/Levy close gap. Final 84-70. 5. Next up: Women Nov 2 vs Stetson, Men Nov 7 vs Morehead State. Let's write the full text now.