By Derek DeBurger
Louisville survives a scare against the Boston College Eagles to win their first game of the ACC tournament.
It’s always very difficult to beat a team three times in one season, and Thursday was no exception to that rule. The game was tight from the beginning with no buckets coming easy for either side. At one point, Louisville was held scoreless for two-and-a-half minutes but hit three-pointers at a high enough rate to stay in the game, totaling four in the first quarter alone. At the end of the first quarter, Louisville led 20-18.
At the start of the second quarter, Louisville scored a quick nine points. After that point, offense was a lot harder to come by.
The rate at which the team turned the ball over ballooned and the Cards only hit one more three for the entire game. While Boston College’s defense played great, their offense played just well enough to claw back into the game. After Boston College managed to tie the game back up, Louisville took back the lead and held strong until the break.
At the half, Louisville would lead 33-29.
Coming out of the locker rooms, the Cards made adjustments and took back control of the game. Louisville took a nine-point lead around the midway point of the third quarter when they hit another slump, falling scoreless for over six minutes. Boston College then attacked the paint to great success, going on an 11-0 run to end the quarter. Louisville trailed by two going into the fourth.
From there, it was a physical battle. Boston College continued to successfully deny the three, so the Cards had to attack the basket. Over the first four minutes of the quarter, the Cards went on a 9-2 run. They were held to one point over the next five minutes and found themselves down by three. With their backs against the wall, the Cards turned up the pressure on defense and forced six turnovers during a 7-0 run including the game-winning shot by Nyla Harris.
Louisville would win 58-55.
Boston College always poses a tough challenge, let alone in the third matchup of a season. This was a tricky first matchup for the Cards, but one that should give them confidence going forward that they can come back down in the fourth. Virtually everyone struggled on offense. Harris led the way with a team-high 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Olivia Cochran, Sydney Taylor, and Kiki Jefferson also pitched in nine points each.
While the offense did struggle, the Cards started the game very hot from deep until Boston College’s defense honed in on it. It’s not uncommon for teams to get hot from behind the arc in March, so let’s hope that this is a trend that can continue.
With the win, Louisville will advance to face Notre Dame in the quarter-finals. This will be the third matchup between the two this season. The Cards have met the Irish several times in the ACC tournament, including last season when the Cards throttled Notre Dame to a victory.
Louisville will need to be on their A-game against Notre Dame, but for now, they survive and advance.
Photo Courtesy // U of L Athletics
