By Derek DeBurger
No. 15 Louisville outpaces the Pittsburgh Panthers to come away with a tough road win.
Louisville sprinted out to a 14-0 lead after systematically dismantling Pitt’s defense. After a timeout to adjust their approach, Pittsburgh switched from a zone to a man-to-man defense. The shift in philosophy was enough to stifle the Cards’ offense just long enough to let the Panthers gain some confidence. The lead slowly chipped away to just nine by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Pitt’s more physical man-to-man defense continued to cause the Cards fits. Points were hard to come by, and the Panthers just grew more and more confident the longer they hung in the game. The tension built near the end of the second when Pitt star Liatu King cut the lead to just two points. With their backs getting closer and closer to the wall, the Cards finally took the lid off the basket hitting some shots—including a major buzzer-beating three by Jayda Curry—to end the half.
At the half, Louisville lead 32-25.
Coming out of the locker rooms, Louisville came out a little cold allowing Pittsburgh to creep back into the game. Early in the third quarter, however, Louisville’s defense held the Panthers to an over five-minute scoring drought. Meanwhile, their offense took off. drawing fouls at an alarming rate to put several Pitt players in serious foul trouble. After an incredibly balanced offensive attack, the Cards led by nine points in the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Louisville shifted into the next gear, leaving Pitt in the dust. It started when Elif Istanbulluoglu hit a three at the beginning of the quarter, then Kiki Jefferson ripped off six straight points to push the lead to 17—the largest of the game to that point. From there it was all but said and done.
Louisville dominated the fourth to win the game 74-44.
Pitt may not be the best team this year, but they’re significantly better at home than on the road. The Cards handed Pitt what was by far their worst home loss of the year, and they did all their damage in the second half. It’s almost shocking to say in a 30-point victory, but the Cards could’ve played much better and won by a lot more.
Curry hit several clutch shots, and Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris continue to prove themselves as one of the most imposing frontcourt duos in the ACC.
Louisville improves to 14-2 on the year and remains undefeated in conference play at 3-0.
Photo Courtesy // Alex Mowry
