Press Release from the University of Louisville:
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The No. 18 Louisville Cardinals (2-2) hit a driving layup with 26 seconds left to force overtime but ended up on the wrong end of a 71-61 defeat against No. 20/19 Kentucky (4-0) Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum. Merissah Russell’s layup ended a three-minute scoreless drought and earned the Cards another five minutes. In overtime, the Cards were unable to hit a shot from the field and the Wildcats put the game away.
The Cards were led by two freshmen in Imari Berry and Tajianna Roberts as they had 14 points and 12 points respectively. Roberts has scored in double figures in all four games this season and Berry has scored double digits in back-to-back games. Ja’Leah Williams was steady across the board with nine points, team-high six assists and five rebounds.
The first quarter was a game of runs as Kentucky took an early lead following a 6-0 run. The Cardinals responded with a 7-0 run of their own to snatch the advantage back. Kentucky got the last basket in the quarter and took a 17-16 lead after the first 10 minutes of action.
The Cardinals ripped off a 6-0 run to start the second quarter to regain the lead. They held the Wildcats scoreless for over three minutes to begin the quarter. The defense stood tall over the length of the frame as they held Kentucky to 5-for-16 shooting after the Wildcats shot 8-for-12 in the first quarter. Louisville did not trail at all in the second quarter and took a 30-27 lead into the half.
Williams was a spark plug for the Cards in the first half. She led the team with eight points, four rebounds and four assists at the break. The Cardinals caused a lot of havoc in the first half as they forced the Wildcats into 12 turnovers.
Kentucky jumped back in front in the third quarter after an 8-0 run and looked to take control of the game. Berry stepped up over the final couple minutes of the third and hit three-straight three points to give the Cards a 46-42 lead heading into the fourth. The Cards as a team shot 6-for-9 from the floor in the third.
Berry opened the scoring in the fourth with another three-pointer for her 12th-straight point. Kentucky scored on the ensuing possession and the game remained a one-possession game the rest of the quarter. A Kentucky layup tied the game with 2:27 left and two free throws gave them the lead with 1:39 left. Coming off a timeout with under a minute left, Russell made her layup to tie the game at 58. With the clock running down, Williams blocked Georgia Amoore’s shot to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, neither team made a basket until there was one minute remaining and the Wildcats pushed their lead to six. The Cards were unable to cut into the lead and Kentucky closed out the win.
The Cardinals will return to campus as they get set for their second home game of the season. Louisville will welcome in-state foe Morehead State to the KFC Yum! Center for a Thursday night tilt. The Cardinals and Eagles will square off at 7 p.m. ET and it will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra. Thursday’s matchup will be the Kroger Thanksgiving Food Drive and fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the game to support the community ahead of the holiday season.
(Photo via University of Louisville Athletics)
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