
Pittsburgh
(+41.5)

Louisville
(-41.5)
Highlights
Summary
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) ā The Louisville womenās basketball team delivered a commanding performance Sunday, defeating Pittsburgh 86-46 at KFC Yum! Center. The Cardinals seized control early, leading 25-6 after the first quarter and never relenting. Louisville dominated inside, outscoring Pittsburgh 44-14 in the paint and scoring 18 points off turnovers. Anaya Hardy led Louisville with 16 points and nine rebounds in just 16 minutes. Laura Ziegler added 13 points and seven rebounds. Theresa Hagans scored 14 points for the Panthers, who struggled offensively throughout. Pittsburgh fell to 8-10 overall. No. 16 Louisville improved to 16-3. Attendance was 8,220.
Extended Summary
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) ā The Louisville womenās basketball team delivered a dominant performance from the opening tip, overwhelming Pittsburgh 86-46 in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Sunday at the KFC Yum! Center. The Cardinals, improving to 16-3 overall, established their superiority immediately with a suffocating defensive effort and relentless rebounding, building a 25-6 lead after the first quarter and never looking back. The Panthers fell to 8-10. The most important part of the game was Louisvilleās immediate and overwhelming first-quarter blitz, which rendered the contest effectively decided within the first ten minutes. The Cardinals set the tone on the gameās very first possession. After Pittsburghās Theresa Hagans opened the scoring with a jumper, Louisvilleās Anaya Hardy answered with a three-point play, igniting a 23-2 run over the remainder of the period. The sequence was emblematic of the entire game: Hardy secured two offensive rebounds on the possession before finally converting, highlighting Louisvilleās massive advantage on the glass. Louisvilleās defense was impenetrable, forcing eight Pittsburgh turnovers in the first quarter alone and converting them into easy transition opportunities. The Cardinals also blocked two shots and recorded three steals in the opening frame, consistently disrupting any semblance of offensive flow for the Panthers. Pittsburgh managed just six points in the quarter on 3-of-13 shooting, while Louisville shot 50% from the field and grabbed seven offensive rebounds. The statistical disparity from that opening period defined the entire contest. For the game, Louisville dominated the interior, outscoring Pittsburgh 44-14 in the paint and holding a staggering 22-3 advantage in offensive rebounds, leading to 18 second-chance points. The Cardinals also forced 20 Pittsburgh turnovers, converting them into 18 points. Anaya Hardy, named the top star for Louisville, led a balanced Cardinals attack with 16 points and nine rebounds in just 16 minutes of play, setting the physical tone early. Laura Ziegler added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Grace Mbugua posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Imari Berry and Skylar Jones each contributed 12 points. For Pittsburgh, which has now lost three of its last four games, Theresa Hagans scored 14 points but needed 33 minutes to do so, emblematic of her teamās offensive struggles. Mikayla Johnson added 10 points. The Panthers shot a frigid 29.6% from the field for the game. Louisvilleās offensive rating of 109.9 points per 100 possessions dwarfed Pittsburghās mark of 60.7, illustrating the chasm in efficiency. The Cardinalsā defense held the Panthers to single-digit scoring in two of the four quarters. The announced attendance was 8,220. Louisville, which entered the game as a 41.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, next travels to face Notre Dame on Thursday. Pittsburgh, which saw the total score fall under the betting over/under line of 138.5, will host Florida State on Thursday.
Preview
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) ā A surging Louisville squad looks to continue its dominance in Atlantic Coast Conference play when it hosts a struggling Pittsburgh team at KFC Yum! Center on Sunday. The No.