Familiar vibes Sunday at the KFC Yum! Center. Not good ones.
Another golden opportunity for the University of Louisville women’s basketball team to claim a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title. Louisville comes out flat early, rallies to get back in the game, again claiming the lead near the end, only to drop another heartbreaker, this time to Notre Dame 65-62. The reruns get old quickly.
In front of a crowd of 11,605 screaming partisans. Everything to play for, with Duke having lost to North Carolina earlier in the day. Cardinals just unable to muster the motivation, the toughness or the confidence to get the job done. Five of their six losses this season at home, under similar circumstances.
Something about those large crowds at home. Doesn’t seem to matter much, too much at stake. The Cardinals blowing five of eight layups at one point in the first half.
On a team with four players averaging double figures, one never knows where the points will come from. Consistent scoring but lack of consistent leadership a recurring issue. Identifying someone who will step forward, be the take-charge person, is a game-to-game puzzle inducer. Knowing who will take the shot when it matters most remains unresolved.
Elif Istanbulluoglu finally pushed UofL ahead with a three-point trip, including a layup and a free throw, in the fourth quarter, followed by a 3-point basket by Mackenly Randolph for a four-point lead. That proved to be the last gasp for the Cardinals, with Notre Dame outscoring them 9-2 the rest of the way.
Randolph led the way with a career high with 15 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double double. Tajianna Roberts added 13 points and Imari Berry had 12 points. Istanbulluoglu just missed a double double with nine points and nine rebounds and tied a career high with five assists. Laura Ziegler was credited with five points.
Louisville finishes the season with a 25-6 record overall and 15-3 in ACC play. Next up is the ACC tournament, which remains an elusive goal since joining the conference in 2014.
