The Louisville women’s basketball team (13-5, 6-1 ACC) fought hard in a 72-62 victory over Syracuse (7-10, 1-5 ACC) Thursday night at the KFC Yum! Center. With the win over the Orange, the Cards take both games of their short homestand and become the second ACC team to win six conference games so far this season. Louisville has won its last seven games and six in a row against ACC opponents dating back to December 15.






































Ja’Leah Williams (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Nyla Harris (10 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles in the win. For Williams, it was her first career double-double, and for Harris, the performance marked the eighth double-double of her career and her third against Syracuse. All five Cardinals starters finished the game in double figures while Elif Istanbulluoglu provided nine points off the bench.
Louisville opened the scoring with layups from Williams, Tajianna Roberts and Harris before the Orange got on the board with a Sophie Burrows three-pointer, part of her 10-point first quarter. Jada Curry hit a three of her own to bring the Cards’ lead out to double digits at 13-3 with 5:42 left in the first. Louisville entered the first media timeout leading 17-7. Every Cardinal to touch the floor in the first quarter scored a basket, as Louisville led 21-15 after one.
Syracuse brought the game back in the second quarter, tying the game with a Saniaa Wilson jumper with just under four minutes in the half. Williams responded for the Cards on the next possession with a jumper of her own to put Louisville back up. The teams traded and-one conversions and the lead on the next two possessions, but an 8-0 run allowed the Cards to pull their lead out to seven late in the quarter. After a short Syracuse run, Louisville entered the break leading 33-30.
The Cards pulled down 12 offensive rebounds in the first half, picking up eight second-chance points. Louisville outrebounded Syracuse 22-16 overall in the first half.
Curry hit three three-pointers early in the second half to bring the Cards’ lead back to double digits at 46-36. After playing multiple possessions with only her left shoe, Harris scored back-to-back baskets to extend the Louisville lead. A quick steal and layup by Williams gave the Cards six consecutive made field goals and their largest lead of the night at 54-39 entering the third media timeout. A pair of threes by the Orange brought the deficit down to just eight with less than two minutes, a lead that Louisville took into the final quarter at 59-51.
Both teams traded baskets early in the fourth, but defense took over in the middle of the quarter as neither team scored for almost three minutes. Izabel Varejao hit a layup to bring Syracuse within seven as the Cards’ scoring drought eclipsed five minutes. The Orange got as close as five before a pair of free throws from Olivia Cochran ended Louisville’s scoreless streak. The Cards scrapped hard down the stretch, making seven of their eight fourth-quarter free throws to pull out a 72-62 victory.
Louisville begins a three-game road trip by traveling to Virginia Tech for a matchup with the Hokies on Sunday, January 19 at Cassell Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
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