No. 9 Louisville women’s basketball defeated the No. 4 North Carolina State Wolfpack 66-59 Feb. 12 at the Reynolds Coliseum.

This victory for the Cardinals (22-3, 11-2) came a game after they were upset inside the Carrier Dome Feb. 9 by the unranked Syracuse Orange. With this win, the Cardinals sit atop the ACC standings along with NC State (22-2, 11-2).

Louisville will look to enter back into the top five in the AP poll come Monday after an impressive victory.

Senior Bionca Dunham provided an early spark for the Cardinals in the first four minutes, putting up three points and a defensive rebound. Senior Jazmine Jones struck in the first quarter as well, swishing a three-pointer and banking in a pair of layups. Junior Dana Evans contributed four points and dimed an assist in the first quarter.

By the end of the second quarter, the Cardinals lead grew to ten. Jones and Evans bottomed three-point jumpers. Sophomore Mykasa Robinson made a jumper and a free-throw and dished an assist to Evans for a three-point bucket.

Louisville came out in the second half shooting efficiently from the field, shooting 57% from the field in the first five minutes of the third quarter.

A late third-quarter run by the Wolfpack brought their deficit to five points.

After a two-minute drought for the Cardinals, Senior Kylee Shook drove into the lane for a layup, increasing the lead to six as the third-quarter clock expired.

The Cardinals did not score till the 7:25 mark of the fourth quarter, allowing North Carolina State to creep within three points of the lead.

Senior Yacine Diop stroked a three-pointer to free the Cardinals from their fourth-quarter jitters and spread the lead back to six.

Minutes later, Jones hit a three-pointer to increase the lead to eight before crossing into the five-minute mark. Three points was as close as the Wolfpack got from tying the game.

Louisville Head Coach Jeff Walz said, “We followed the scouting report and did exactly what we needed to do.” As time winded down the Cardinals played superb defense, shutting down North Carolina State. With 43 seconds remaining in the game, Junior Elizabeth Balogun drilled a dagger three-pointer to solidify the upset victory.

Photo by Anna Claire Will // The Louisville Cardinal