Louisville, Ky. — No. 13 Louisville continued its strong start to Atlantic Coast Conference play Sunday afternoon, pulling away for an 85–60 win over Virginia Tech.
Laura Ziegler led the Cardinals with 18 points and nine rebounds, anchoring a balanced offensive effort that saw Louisville build control early and never let it slip. The Cardinals shot an efficient 47 percent from the floor and were sharp from long range, knocking down 11 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc to establish a comfortable halftime advantage and expand it throughout the second half.
Imari Berry provided a spark off the bench, scoring 13 points for Louisville (14–3, 4–0 ACC). The Cardinals placed three players in double figures and held a 41–34 edge on the glass, while also taking advantage of Virginia Tech miscues.
Virginia Tech made a brief push to open the fourth quarter, scoring on three consecutive possessions to trim the deficit to 70–49. Layups from Samyha Suffren and Carys Baker fueled the surge, but Louisville quickly responded.
A three-point play by Skylar Jones followed by a pull-up jumper from Berry halted the momentum and pushed the lead back beyond 25 points.
Louisville continued to pressure defensively and capitalize on second-chance opportunities down the stretch. Grace Mbugua capped the dominant performance with a three-pointer at the 2:12 mark, extending the lead past 30.
Baker paced Virginia Tech (11–5, 1–3 ACC) with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Suffren added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench.
The Hokies struggled offensively, failing to connect on any of their 16 three-point attempts and committing 18 turnovers that resulted in 23 points for Louisville.
Up Next:
Louisville returns to action Thursday with a matchup against Miami.
Virginia Tech heads to Syracuse on Thursday.
