Broncos Host No. 5/4 Louisville Monday

Boise State (3-0) vs. No. 5/4 Louisville (3-0)
Monday, Nov. 19 • 7 p.m.
Boise, Idaho • Taco Bell Arena
Series: Louisville leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Louisville 74, Boise State 42 (March 16, 2018) • Louisville, Ky.
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BOISE, Idaho - Boise State (3-0) hosts No. 5/4 Louisville (2-0) Monday at 7 p.m. The Cardinals match the highest-ranked team (in the Associated Press Poll) to visit Taco Bell Arena for a meeting with the Broncos.

The Broncos make their first road trip of the season over Thanksgiving, heading to Southern California for the Beach Classic in Long Beach. There, the Broncos will face Idaho (Friday, 6 p.m. MT) and Northern Iowa (Saturday, 3 p.m. MT).

LAST TIME OUT: Boise State got its record to 3-0 to open the season with Friday night's 93-26 victory over Northwest Christian.

The Bronco defense was on lockdown all game, holding the Beacons to an all-time opponent-low eight field goals, as well as to a 13.6 field-goal percentage.

Meanwhile, on offense, Boise State opened the game on a 16-0 run and all 12 Broncos that were available scored at least two points in the contest. The Broncos were led by Ellie Woerner, who put up career highs in points (14) and rebounds (eight). Riley Lupfer found her touch, as well, going 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from deep, finishing the night with 12 points.

WHO'S NEXT: Monday night's contest for No. 5/4 Louisville will be the first for the Cardinals in 10 days. The Cardinals most recently saw action Nov. 9 in a 75-49 win at Chattanooga, following a 102-80 season-opening win at Western Kentucky on Nov. 6.

Under 12th-year head coach Jeff Walz, who has guided the Cardinals to three Final Fours and two national championship game appearances over his tenure, Louisville is led by the play of 2018 Preseason All-American and 2017-18 ACC Player of the Year Asia Durr, who is averaging 28.5 points and shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 48.0 percent from deep over the season's first two games.

HIGHEST-RANKED TEAM TO COME TO TACO BELL ARENA: Louisville, ranked fifth in last week's Associated Press Poll (a new poll will come out Monday morning), matches the highest-ranked team to visit Boise to play the Broncos.

Also ranked fifth in the AP Poll when visiting Taco Bell Arena was Georgia, which defeated Boise State, 91-51, on Dec. 20, 1998.

The Cardinals are also the highest-ranked team that Boise State has ever played, as Louisville was ranked third in the AP Poll at the time of last season's NCAA Tournament First Round.

BOISE STATE AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Boise State enters Monday's contest against No. 5/4 Louisville with a record of 2-37 all-time against teams ranked in the Associated Press Poll.

Each of the Broncos' wins over a ranked team came in the 1993-94 season. Boise State beat No. 15 Western Kentucky, 75-71, on Jan. 3, 1994, then defeated No. 20 Montana, 70-61, at Taco Bell Arena on Jan. 29.

The win over the Hilltoppers got the Broncos into the AP Poll, as they debuted at No. 23 on Jan. 11, 1994. They would remain in the poll for the final 10 weeks of the season, climbing as high as 17th, and ending up at No. 21.

LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Louisville, the top seed in the Lexington Region, defeated 16-seed Boise State, 74-42, in last year's NCAA Tournament First Round en route to its third Final Four appearance since 2009.

The Broncos were as close as 21-15 halfway through the second quarter, holding the Cardinals scoreless over the first half of the frame, and went into the break trailing by just 10 at 32-22. But Louisville used a third-quarter burst, outscoring the Broncos, 27-8, to pull away for the win.

Boise State struggled from the field in the contest, shooting just 23.7 percent (14-for-59) overall and 13.3 percent (4-for-30) from deep. Despite limiting Louisville's top players, Asia Durr and Myisha Hines-Allen, to just 13 points on 6-of-21 shooting, the Broncos could not overcome a 39-21 deficit on the boards.

LUPFER HEATING UP: Junior guard Riley Lupfer looked to have found her touch in Friday's win over Northwest Christian, going 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from deep for 12 points.

It came after the Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year went just 6-for-16 (.375) from the field, and 2-for-12 (.167) from 3-point range over the first two games. Last season, Lupfer set Boise State and Mountain West single-season records with 122 3-pointers.

HERMIDA CLOSING IN ON 1,000: Marta Hermida's 41 points over Boise State's first two games this season has brought her closer to joining Boise State's 1,000-Point Club.

Heading into Friday's game against Northwest Christian, Hermida stands at 959 career points, just 41 away from the 1,000-point milestone.

HERMIDA STARTS THE YEAR HOT: Senior guard Marta Hermida has also opened eyes three games into the new campaign, averaging 13.7 points, shooting 68.2 percent (15-for-22) from the field and 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from deep over Boise State's 3-0 start.

The numbers are even more impressive considering that she came into this season with career shooting marks of 36.3 percent overall and 28.5 from 3-point range.

HARRELL ON A CAREER-HIGH PACE: Senior forward Joyce Harrell is another Bronco who has been on a tear to open the season, averaging 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 65.5 percent from the field over this 3-0 start.

Harrell scored a career-high 23 points in Nov. 10's 91-46 win over Southern Oregon, and followed with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 10 minutes of action Friday against Northwest Christian.

Like Hermida, Harrell has been outperforming her career averages early on in 2018-19, as she entered her senior year averaging 3.0 points and 3.3 rebounds a game with a 45.8 shooting percentage.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: Boise State has displayed its depth over the first three games of the season, as all 12 available players have seen action in each contest.

Seven Broncos scored at least six points in Nov. 8's win over CSUN, led by 16 from Marta Hermida and 11 from A'Shanti Coleman. Two days later, eight players scored at least six points in the win over Southern Oregon, with Joyce Harrell leading the way with a career-high 23.

Last Friday against Northwest Christian, each of the 12 Broncos in action scored at least two points, with six finishing in double figures.

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Players Mentioned

A'Shanti Coleman

Joyce Harrell

Marta Hermida

Riley Lupfer

Ellie Woerner