With a significant conference victory over the No. 21 Syracuse Orange, No. 16 Louisville maintains its top spot in the ACC rankings.
It was an easy concept: cling onto the ball and lessen the effect of star Dyaisha Fair. The execution was more difficult; in the first quarter, Syracuse forced four turnovers and Fair scored seven points, giving the Orange an early 21-14 lead.
Stuffing the Louisville offence, the Orange alternated between man-to-man, two-three, and one-two-two zones. After a 10-0 run to begin the second quarter, Louisville was able to break open the different zone looks, forcing Syracuse to rely more on man-to-man defence. Louisville’s 16-2 run gave them a seven-point lead in the second quarter, following Syracuse’s eventual touchdown.
Louisville was still in the lead at the half, leading 40–34.
Louisville was more adept at sensing Syracuse’s reactions in the third quarter and was able to keep them at a distance. By the halfway point of the quarter, the Orange had narrowed the deficit to five points, but the Cards retaliated by keeping the Orange scoreless for more than three minutes and increasing their lead to thirteen points.
Although Fair made an effort to dominate the game and scored 13 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter, Louisville was able to break through the Orange’s press and win the game at the free throw line.
The score was 81-69 for Louisville.
The Cards’ victory was enormous.
One of the few teams competing for the top slot in the ACC was Syracuse, a highly skilled and well-coached squad. Due to Syracuse’s prowess in stealing the ball, Louisville’s progress in reducing turnovers is expected to continue in Thursday’s match. Although the squad’s fifteen turnovers may not seem like much, they are a respectable total when up against a team as skillfully aggressive as the Orange.
Nyla Harris, who recorded career-highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds, also had a fantastic night. Kiki Jefferson made a significant contribution, leading the squad with 21 points; Sydney Taylor and Nina Rickards also scored in double figures.
Following yet another emphatic victory, Louisville’s record now stands at 19-3 overall and 8-1 in the ACC.
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