By Harrison Plank

The Louisville Cardinal Women’s Basketball team lost to the Michigan Wolverines 71-52 in the Sweet Sixteen. 

Back and forth battle

Elif Istanbulluoglu continued where she left off in the previous round of the NCAA Tournament, nailing a three to get Louisville on the board first.

Despite coming out the gates swinging, whether it was Sweet Sixteen jitters or just some rust, Louisville could not get a consistent offensive spark going early. Many messy turnovers and bad shots plauged both teams early. However, while Michigan remained scoreless, the Cards began to extend their early lead.

Istanbulluoglu led a charge to end this cold streak, nailing a put back layup, stealing the ball on the other end and hitting Imari Berry under the basket. Her efforts put the Cardinals ahead of the Wolverines 7-0.

Michigan eventually got over the hump, making their first baskets of the game. Two shots at the rim by Syla Swords and Olivia Olson quickly cut their deficit in half. 

As the Wolverines caught their scoring stride though, so did Louisville. Both teams traded buckets into the second quarter as Louisville held onto their six-point lead.

The Cards lead after the first quarter 15-9.

The hot streak continued for both teams into the second. Istanbulluoglu remained a powerful presence in the post, backing down multiple Michigan defenders for easy attempts at the basket. She alone could not do it all though, and a Louisville scoring drought late in the quarter left Michigan an opportunity to take their first lead of the game.

The Wolverines went on an 18-2 run to close out the quarter,  while swinging all of the momentum the game had in their direction.

Louisville trailed at the half 32-27.

Its getting out of hand 

Istanbulluoglu again started the half with the first bucket for the Cards. Reyna Scott and Tajianna Roberts made two more as well, but then the Michigan scoring wave began to come in. This time it was more like a flood.

A collective team effort by the Wolverines gave Louisville some Deja Vu. Michigan ended the third quarter on a 20-2 run heading into the final 10 minutes.

Louisville trailed 57-40.

The final quarter of play was difficult to watch. Michigan overwhelmed the Cards defensively, while continuing to either maintain their lead or push it even higher.

Once their lead reached as high as 23, with nearly five minutes to go, it seemed everyone in the stadium knew what the outcome was going to be. To give them credit, Louisville did scrap together a late scoring run,  but Michigan was just too much.

Louisville lost 71-52.

Close out the season

While the loss is disappointing, the Cardinals have a lot to look forward to. Many core players are returning, like Imari Berry, Tajianna Roberts, Elif Istanbulluoglu, Mackenly Randolph, Grace Mbugua and Isla Juffermans.

Louisville made history this season. The team was undefeated on the road, marking the first time that has happened in the program. This, along with an ACC Tournament and Sweet Sixteen apperance leaves a lot to be hopeful about for next season.

While defeat is bitter, this was a historic and memorable season for the Cards. Onto the next.