In an exciting showdown at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night, the No. 5 seeded Louisville women’s basketball team punched its ticket to the Elite Eight with a thrilling 72-62 win over No. 8 seed, Ole Miss. The Cardinals’ stellar defense kept the Rebels at bay throughout the game, as Louisville advanced to its fifth consecutive and eighth overall Elite Eight appearance in program history.
Leading the way for Louisville was Hailey Van Lith, who continued her scintillating form with a game-high 21 points, alongside five rebounds and four assists. This was Van Lith’s third straight 20-point outing in the NCAA Tournament and seventh overall, tying her for second-most in the program’s history. She was supported by Mykasa Robinson, who chipped in with 11 points, five assists, and seven rebounds, while Olivia Cochran and Morgan Jones also made their presence felt with 10 and 11 points, respectively, and six and seven rebounds apiece.
The Cardinals didn’t get off to the best of starts in the game’s opening minutes, but Van Lith settled their nerves with a quick three-pointer. She then proceeded to score seven of Louisville’s first nine points and led them on a 6-0 run to tie the game midway through the first quarter. The Cardinals then hit five straight shots and kept the Rebels scoreless for three minutes to end the opening quarter with a 20-15 lead.
Ole Miss had other ideas and went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter, bringing the Louisville lead down to one. Carr hit a crucial three to end a three-minute scoreless drought and give the Cardinals some breathing space. But, the Rebels fought back and regained the lead. The Cardinals, though, had other plans and ended the quarter on a high, going on a 7-0 run and heading into halftime with a 34-29 lead.
Louisville’s defense was the most impressive aspect of their performance in the third quarter, as they held Ole Miss without a point for five minutes straight. The Rebels missed eight straight shots, as the Cardinals limited their offensive opportunities. This enabled Louisville to close out the quarter on an 11-4 run, with Morgan Jones and Merissah Russell converting a layup and a three-pointer respectively, to give the Cardinals a 52-42 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Cardinals’ lead got as high as 12 points, as they attempted to put the game out of reach. However, Ole Miss attempted a rally in the final few minutes and cut the deficit to just five points. Nonetheless, Louisville remained composed and sealed the game with crucial layups and free throws, with Robinson stepping up with a layup and a free throw late in the game.
With this win, the Cards have booked a place in the Elite Eight for the eighth time in program history, and will now face the Big Ten Tournament Champions, Iowa Hawkeyes, on Sunday, with a spot in the Final Four up for grabs. The Cardinals and No. 2 seeded Hawkeyes will tip-off at 9 p.m. ET, and the game will be on ESPN.
