Louisville Defeats Kentucky for Seventh Straight Battle for the Bluegrass Win
Press Release from the University of Louisville:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 18 Louisville women's basketball team secured a 73-61 win over rival Kentucky this afternoon, their seventh straight victory in the series.
The first half saw five lead changes and six ties as the Cards were up by one going into the second half. In the third period, Kentucky had a mid-quarter lead of three but the Cards responded immediately with a late 14-2 run that put them up by nine points.
In comparison to their 37% (10-for-27) shooting in the first twenty minutes, Louisville shot 53% (17-for-32) in the second half. They held the lead for the entirety of the fourth quarter, as the Wildcats were unable to regain momentum.
Five Cardinals reached double-figure scoring with senior Eylia Love leading the charge at 14 points. Love shot 6-for-8 from the field, pulled down five rebounds, and tallied two steals.
Senior Olivia Cochran added 10 points, reaching 1,000 points for her career with a free throw in the second quarter. Cochran pulled down a team-high tying eight rebounds in helping the Cardinals gain a 45-23 rebound advantage over the Wildcats.
Sophomore Nyla Harris tallied 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had a career-high three steals. Graduate student Kiki Jefferson had 11 points for her fifth consecutive double-figure scoring game. She also pulled down seven rebounds in 17 minutes of playing time.
The Cardinals are set to close out their three-game homestand on Wednesday as part of a double header at the KFC Yum! Center. Louisville will welcome in-state foe Morehead State on Wednesday, December 13 before the men's team takes on Arkansas State later that evening. The Cardinals and Eagles will square off at 4 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra.
(Photo of Olivia Cochran: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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