In an exciting matchup at the KFC Yum! Center, the No. 19 Louisville women’s basketball team secured their second ranked win of the season by defeating No. 23 Washington with a final score of 59-51. Olivia Cochran led the way for the Cardinals, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Nyla Harris also contributed with 11 points and four rebounds.
Louisville got off to a hot start, going on a 10-0 run after the Huskies scored the first points of the game. They forced multiple turnovers and took a 10-2 lead early on. However, Washington fought back and tied the game at 10 with an 8-0 run. Both teams closed out the first quarter with a three-pointer each, making it 13-13.
The second quarter saw increased offense from both sides, with Washington taking a 24-21 lead after back-to-back three-pointers. Louisville responded with a 10-2 run to end the half, with Sydney Taylor scoring six of those final points. The Cardinals took a 31-26 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, Louisville started strong with a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 36-26. They continued to build on their lead, with Harris and Merissah Russell scoring key buckets to give the Cardinals a 40-29 lead heading into the media timeout. Washington closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, narrowing the gap to 44-38.
The Huskies opened the final period with a 8-0 run, but Louisville responded with a 9-2 run of their own to take a commanding 53-42 lead. The Cardinals held on to secure a 59-51 victory, maintaining their perfect home record of 7-0 this season.
With the holiday break approaching, the Cardinals will have some time off before returning to campus. When they come back, they will begin ACC play with a road game against Miami on December 31. The game will be nationally broadcasted on the ACC Network at 4 p.m. ET.
