Louisville, Ky. — No. 10 Louisville showed its depth and defensive dominance Sunday afternoon, overwhelming Pitt 86–46 to push its winning streak to nine games.
Despite being without leading scorer Elif Istanbulluoglu, the Cardinals never missed a beat. Louisville relied on relentless defense and commanding rebounding to improve to 16–3 overall and remain perfect in Atlantic Coast Conference play at 6–0.
The Cardinals set the tone immediately. After Pitt scored on its opening possession, Louisville clamped down defensively, forcing the Panthers into a prolonged scoring drought. Pitt missed nine of its next 10 shots, while the Cardinals surged to a 25–6 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Pitt’s struggles were compounded by turnovers, as 11 of its 20 giveaways came in the opening period.
Anaya Hardy stepped into a larger role and delivered one of the best performances of her career. The 6-foot-3 sophomore scored 16 points in just 17 minutes, shooting an efficient 7-for-9 from the field while pulling down nine rebounds. Her scoring total marked a career high.
The Cardinals dominated the glass, out-rebounding Pitt 60–28, including a staggering 24–3 edge on the offensive boards that resulted in 18 second-chance points. Louisville’s defensive pressure also produced a season-high 18 steals.
Pitt fell to 8–10 overall and 1–4 in ACC play. Freshman Theresa Hagans led the Panthers with 14 points, while Mikayla Johnson added 10. Pitt shot just 29.6 percent from the field (16 of 54), marking the third time this season the Panthers have been held below 30 percent shooting.
Up Next:Pitt returns home Thursday to face Florida State.
Louisville hits the road Thursday for a matchup at Notre Dame.
