In the midst of the madness of the NCAA Women’s Tournament, the Louisville Cardinals will look to extend their Sweet 16 run to seven consecutive years as they face off against the Ole Miss Rebels. The game is set to for 10 p.m. ET in Seattle. The Cardinals, a five-seed, have been busy making a statement in the tournament thus far, and are coming off a dominant 73-51 win over the Texas Longhorns in the second round. This victory marked their 12th Sweet 16 appearance in program history and sixth under seasoned coach Jeff Walz.
The Cardinals will be relying on their dynamic offensive player Hailey Van Lith to continue her excellent form in the tournament thus far. She is the team’s leading scorer with 21 points in their last game against the Longhorns and has now scored over 20 points in both NCAA Tournament games this season. Her shooting prowess cannot be overlooked, having shot 50 percent or better in both contests. Van Lith has averaged more than 20 points per game in six of her last seven appearances in the tournament.
Louisville has been quite successful under Walz’s leadership, especially in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They’ve won 26 of 28 games in the first and second rounds of the tournament with Walz serving as the coach. Additionally, Walz’s record as the lower seed improved to 9-6, which bodes well for the Cardinals considering their fifth-seed-status. The game against Ole Miss will be his 13th Sweet 16 appearance in 16 seasons, further solidifying his reputation as a high-level coach.
Ole Miss, on the other hand, is looking to cause an upset in their Sweet 16 debut. They boast a record of 25-8 and ranked as an eight-seed. The highlight of their season thus far has been their 11-5 SEC conference record, which resulted in a fourth-place finish in the regular season. The Rebels’ defensive game will be the key to success if they want to beat Louisville. They’re ranked third in the nation in three-point defense, making it challenging for opponents to shoot beyond the arc with an average of just 24.8 percent. However, they’ll be going up against a Louisville team that shoots 34.2 percent from three, a mark that is second in the ACC. They defend the paint effectively, holding opponents to just 35.2 percent overall.
Overall, this game will come down to which team plays its strengths better. Will Ole Miss put up a defensive barrier that Louisville can’t penetrate, or will Louisville’s superior overall offensive game wear down the Rebels? It all will culminate nationwide on ESPN.
