By Josie Simpson
No. 25 Louisville overcame a slow start against the Clemson Tigers as the Cardinals came away victorious on senior night.
Not-so-paper Tigers
Offense for both squads was a little skittish to start. Loyal McQueen scored the first bucket of the game, but only after bout 90 seconds of play.
Merissah Russell finally got the Cardinals on the board with a layup, and Jayda Curry added a three-pointer to give Louisville its first lead at 7-5.
The first quarter remained extremely tight, with Mia Moore hitting a three for Clemson before Olivia Cochran answered with a tough layup inside.
The Tigers’ Maddi Cluse knocked down a three to swing the lead back in their favor.
Louisville barely trailed 15-16 after the first.
The second quarter got off to an even worse start for the Cards.
Clemson scored the first five points of the quarter, and Louisville took an even longer two-and-a-half minutes to score their first points.
Louisville then held pace, and even tied the game up with a layup from Cochran. Later, a three from Izela Arenas gave the Cards a 27-26 lead.
Including the three, Arenas scored the last seven points of the half for the Cards, single-handedly battling with McQueen and Moore of Clemson.
Arenas had the final points of the half to give the Cardinals a narrow 31-30 lead at the break.
Don’t look now
Out of the break, Louisville turned up its defensive intensity. Cochran and Nyla Harris locked down the paint, giving Clemson nothing but tough shots.
Curry hit a jumper, then found Harris inside for a layup, extending the lead to 35-30.
Moore responded with a three, then Anya Poole tied the game up at 35-35.
Louisville then put together a 17-5 run to gain complete control of the game.
By the end of the third quarter, Louisville had built a 55-46 lead.
Louisville shut the door in the fourth quarter with a dominant defense, holding Clemson scoreless for almost five minutes to start the period. During this time Louisville went on an 11-0 run to deliver the death blow to Clemson.
The Cards continued to roll as Tajianna Roberts scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the fourth, including the fist six points of the quarter.
Louisville won 78-52.
Earning their flowers
While the game got out to a poor start, Louisville got back to the style of play that has helped them make great strides late in the season.
Louisville only committed nine turnovers and held Clemson to 20% from deep. They also held Clemson to a poor shooting night overall, only allowing 32.1% from the field.
The Cards also dominated the glass, grabbing 12 more rebounds than the Tigers.
On senior night, Curry and Cochran both reach double-digits in their finally game in the KFC Yum! Center.
With the win, Louisville improved to 20-8 overall and 13-4 in conference play. They’re one win away from clinching a double-bye in the ACC tournament.
Photo Courtesy // Taris Smith, Louisville Athletics
