LOUISVILLE, Ky. — No. 10 Louisville got off to a strong start and was relentless defensively in defeating the Bellarmine University women's basketball team 82-25 on Tuesday at the KFC Yum! Center.

Bellarmine (0-2) didn't have a double-digit scorer. Senior forward Lauren Deel pulled down seven rebounds against the Cardinals (1-1).

Louisville led 28-10 after the first quarter and 48-14 at halftime. The Cardinals took advantage of their size and length on both ends, holding edges of 28-6 in points in the paint, 18-2 in second-chance points and 16-2 in points off turnovers before the intermission.

"I told them at halftime that we came in on Sunday and really had a bad practice, Monday we had a bad walk through, and it just blended into tonight," Knights Coach Chancellor Dugan said. "Louisville is a very good team, obviously. We won't see that length in the league, but we've just got to prepare better."

Emily Engstler paced four Louisville players in double figures with 12 points, and she also hauled in 14 rebounds. The Cardinals shot 52.9 percent and had a 54-24 rebounding advantage.

"The seniors have got to step up and take responsibility, take ownership of what this team is going to be," Dugan said.

Bellarmine plays at 7 p.m. (ET) Saturday at Western Illinois.

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