By Jo Simpson
The Louisville Cardinals secured a hard-fought victory over the Colorado Buffaloes.
Jet lagged
The Buffaloes came out strong riding efficient shooting from Frida Formann on their way to a 12-4 run to start the game.
Louisville struggled to find their rhythm offensively, hitting just 33.3% from the field and failing to convert and three-point attempts.
The Cards were able to get back into the game with an 8-2 run of there own, but there would be more catching up to do.
The Cards trailed 10-16 at the end of the first.
The tides turned in the second quarter as Louisville’s offense caught fire.
The Cardinals went on a 16-5 run, led by the sharpshooter Jayda Curry and Tajianna Roberts. The bench also made an impact, contributing 16 points in the quarter.
Louisville’s defense clamped down, forcing turnovers and converting them into fast-break points.
By halftime, the Cardinals held a 35-33 advantage.
Swings of the pendulum
Colorado came out of the break and opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run to reclaim the lead.
After the initial run, both teams traded blows throughout the quarter. The Cards were finally able to make a push to reclaim the lead on a Nyla Harris jump shot and hold onto it going into the final quarter of play. Harris scored six of her team-high 14 points in the third.
Louisville had a slim lead of only 56-55.
After two minutes with no points on either side, Colorado finally broke the stalemate with a couple of free throws to take the lead.
From that point on, Louisville dominated the final quarter. They orchestrated a 16-0 run dedicated by their defense, getting six-straight points off of steals and fastbreak buckets to initially reclaim the lead.
The Cards pushed their lead to 15 points, and a few questionable called shooting fouls gave the Buffaloes opportunities to come back into the game. However, the Cards would put their foot down and call it a night.
Louisville won 79-71.
Slow and steady
Curry, who finished with 14 points, was pivotal in the fourth quarter. Her calm trickled down to others, and Louisville had the wherewithal to simply kill the clock once the math didn’t add up and the lead became nearly insurmountable. Curry’s presence and experience is invaluable, and she will need to remain a leader for the young core going forward.
Louisville’s bench impact was a major factor in the win, garnering over half of their score with 43 points.
Louisville, however, still struggled with holding onto the ball, amassing 18 turnovers in the game. They forced 25, so the Cards more than broke even in the turnover margin, but the issue still remains. The turnover bug was the x-factor a season ago, and it still remains so today. If the Cards want to reach their full ceiling, they need to keep turnovers to a minimum.
With this victory, Louisville improves to 5-2 and looks to build on their momentum as they round out non-conference play.
Photo Courtesy // Mallory Peak, Louisville Athletics
