By Elizabeth Scanland
Louisville pulled off their second ranked win of the season, this time over the No. 21 California Golden Bears.
This was also a reunion of sorts for Jayda Curry, who transferred to Louisville from Cal.
Jet lagged
Things got off to a rough start for Louisville as Cal went on a 7-0 run. Louisville struggled to hit shots during the run despite good rebounding efforts, forcing Jeff Walz to call a timeout.
Immediately out of the huddle, Tajianna Roberts hit a jump shot, finally putting the Cards on the board. For the next several minutes, the two teams traded baskets with Louisville slightly controlling the pace.
The last three buckets of the quarter came from Imari Berry and Mackenly Randolph, tying the game up and then giving the Cards the lead, both for the first time in the game.
Louisville led 21-18 at the end of the first period.
It was all Cards in the second quarter with impressive scoring, but their defense is what set them apart.
Louisville forced nine turnovers and kept Cal from scoring from the field as four of their nine points came from the line.
Cal did find late success with back-to-back buckets in the final 90 seconds, but it wasn’t nearly enough to spark a momentum shift.
Olivia Cochran was a huge part of the team’s first half success with 12 points and five rebounds.
Louisville closed the half up big, 37-27.
Auto pilot
Louisville got things rolling to open the third quarter with a steal and score from Curry, but was followed up with back-to-back baskets from Cal.
Curry hit an and-1 to put the Cards back up by 10, but Cal responded with a layup from Lulu Twidale to cut the score to eight.
Berry then put on her cape and went on a personal 7-0 run to give Louisville a 15-point lead. During this run, the team held Cal scoreless for almost three minutes.
A small scare did hit the Cards late with Cochran fouling Ioanna Krimili on a three-point attempt. She hit all her free throws, but Izela Arenas responded with a three of her own to stretch the lead right back to 13 points.
Louisville ended the third up 55-44.
Cal would get a shot down low, opening the scoring for both sides after about a-minute-and-a-half, but Louisville would respond how they had all night. The Cards held the Golden Bears scoreless for over three minutes, extending the lead to 16 points, the largest of the game.
Even after the run ended, Louisville kept Cal at arm’s length. They continued to lock down the three-point line and scrap for loose rebounds.
With four minutes remaining, the Cards entered the sink in hopes of draining the clock. Cal noticed this and ramped up their defensive intensity. Louisville’s offense grew more stagnant, but the strategy was effective as Cal resorted to fouling to extend the game with just over a minute left.
Louisville did, however, cough the ball up a few times down the stretch and they failed to convert at the line a number of times, but their defense held strong and even forced the Bears to take bad shots inside the paint due to the smothering outside of it.
The two sides eventually accepted their fates, and Louisville came out on top 70-63.
No fly zone
Besides the very beginning and end, Louisville commanded the game on both ends of the floor, especially defensively.
They held Cal, one of the best shooting teams in the country, to just 40.7% from the field and 21.4% from three.
The Cards also forced 23 turnovers, including 12 steals, and had 22 points off those turnovers. Curry led the team with four steals, making for quite a successful reunion.
Louisville’s defensive efforts looked the best they have all season and if they continue this, they will very likely end the season playing their best basketball.
Cochran controlled the night with 18 points and one rebound shy of a double-double, and she didn’t even end the game as she fouled out before the hack-a-Card began. The fifth-year senior scored her 1,500th career point in the third, cementing her place in program history.
This was a much-needed win for a struggling Louisville team and should help their standings. The Cards are currently projected to be an eighth seed in the tournament, but an upset win like Thursday’s will be sure to boost their standing in Bracketology circles.
The Cards advance to 16-7 on the season and 9-3 in the ACC.
Photo Courtesy // Taris Smith, Louisville Athletics
