By Brian Meister
One Battle
The University of Louisville women’s basketball team bounced back to defeat Georgia Tech 69-50 on Thursday night in Atlanta.
The Cardinals, coming off a 74-72 loss at home to Virginia last Sunday, got off to a slow start against the Yellow Jackets.
The game remained close until a 10-0 run by Louisville late in the first quarter. Forward Elif Istanbulluoglu hit two three pointers as the Cards took a 18-13 lead going into the second.
Louisville pushed their lead further after a timeout early in the quarter. A 6-0 run led by Imari Berry and Mackenly Randolph started warming things up, but it only got hotter before halftime.
Tajiana Roberts took over late in the second quarter, hitting two back-to-back threes that put the Cardinals ahead by over double digits going into the break.
Louisville led at halftime 36-24.
The Cardinals had control in the first half, but Georgia Tech cut the Cards lead down to six early the third quarter. The Cards had a response though, rallying with a 9-0 run to take control of the game and extend their lead to 15.
Commitment to playing team basketball and trying to find the best shot got everyone involved; seven different Cardinals knocked down shots this quarter. The Cards had the lead heading into the final 10 minutes, 36-24.
Louisville carried this energy with them through the fourth, keeping pace with the Yellow Jackets till the clocks hit zero. The Cardinals came away with another dominant win to end out their season on the road.
After another
Georgia Tech was led by guard Talayah Walker, who scored 20 points but had four turnovers. Defensive stops and forced turnovers won the Cardinals this game. Overall, the Cards scored 27 points off 22 Georgia Tech turnovers.
The Cards overcame the Yellow Jackets with strong play from Elif Istanbulluoglu and guard Tajiana Roberts, who returned from a grade two left ankle sprain to score 12 points and commit zero turnovers.
With the win, Louisville finishes the regular season undefeated on the road in ACC play at 9-0.
This win shows Louisville’s resiliency in bouncing back from a loss, something they have shown consistently all season. One major show of strength was a 14-game winning streak the Cards went on after losing an early non-conference game at home versus No. 3 South Carolina.
Up next the Cardinals will face Notre Dame in their final game of the regular season. In the last meeting between the two teams, Louisville defeated Notre Dame on the road in South Bend, 79-66. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Louisville is now 25-5 and 15-2 in conference play.
Photo by Adam Mouchrani / The Louisville Cardinal
