#16 Cards Peel #21 Orange 81-69

Mark BlankenbakerFebruary 1, 2024

The No. 16/12 Louisville women’s basketball team (19-3, 8-1 ACC) closed out their homestand and remained undefeated at home this season with an 81-69 victory over No. 21/23 Syracuse (17-4, 7-3 ACC). The Cardinals are now 4-2 against ranked opponents this season and are 12-0 at the KFC Yum! Center.

Four Cards scored in double figures this evening, highlighted by Nyla Harris’ career-high tying 18 points. Harris also pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds, marking her third double-double this season, which leads the team.

Syracuse started the game off dominant from the field and ended the first quarter up 21-14. However, the Cards were able to take control, out-scoring the Orange 26-13 in the second frame and ending the half on a 10-3 run. Louisville led by as much as 15 points in the second half.

Kiki Jefferson led the team with 21 points and added three assists, and two steals. This marks her sixth straight game with at least three assists. Jefferson has scored in double figures in 15 of her last 17 games.

Nina Rickards ended with 14 points on 6-of-9 from the field while adding three assists and two steals. Sydney Taylor shot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, tallying 13 points and a team-high four assists. Taylor tied a season-high with three made three-pointers this evening and leads the team in three-pointers made per game.

Olivia Cochran added nine points and nine rebounds this evening. She played a strong defensive role with a team-high three steals and two blocked shots.

Louisville held Syracuse to under 70 points for just the third time this season. The Cards also outrebounded the Orange 41-36 and outscored them 36-22 in the paint. It was just the fifth time this season Syracuse had been outrebounded as they entered the game averaging 43.6 rebounds per game.

Syracuse’s Dyaisha Fair had a game-high 28 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 from the three-point line.

Up next for the Cardinals will be their second of four-straight opponents ranked in the Top-25. Louisville will head down to the triangle to take on No. 5 NC State on Monday, February 5. The Big Monday matchup will tip off from Raleigh at 7 p.m. ET and it will be aired nationally on ESPN2.