Pitt women’s basketball went 1-1 on the road this past weekend. After picking up its first ACC win of the season on Thursday against Virginia, Pitt (7-14, 1-7 ACC) faltered against Louisville (18-3, 7-1 ACC) on Sunday afternoon, falling 77-58. The Panthers played a strong second quarter but couldn’t stop the Cardinal’s momentum after the third.
The last time the Cardinals and the Panthers faced off, Louisville kept Pitt’s leading scorer, senior forward Liatu King, at bay, which contributed to their win. King typically averages 19 points per game. In the last face-off, King had just six points.
This time around, King picked up her 12th consecutive double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. However, King wasn’t Pitt’s only offensive producer on Sunday.
Pitt graduate student forward Jala Jordan stepped up and had a double-double of her own, with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
At the start of the first, Pitt sophomore forward Aislin Malcolm gave the Panthers an early lead after knocking down two free throws. However, Pitt’s lead was short-lived after several turnovers. By the end of the first half, Pitt had 11 turnovers to the Cardinals’ 2.
Cardinal sophomore guard Jayda Curry went three for three in the last minute of the first and extended the Louisville lead from 14-9 to 19-9. All three of Curry’s shots were made off of Pitt’s turnovers. Curry posted a total of nine points in the first quarter.
Pitt got the deficit down to single digits halfway through the second after junior guard Bella Perkins made a three-point shot. The Cardinals went on a scoring drought following Perkins’ three-pointer, which allowed the Panthers to cut down their deficit.
With less than 1:30 left in the half, Malcolm put up a deep shot in a fight with the shot clock. She sunk it and cut the Louisville lead down to six. The Cardinals responded with a jumper and led 26-35 with 1:08 to go. But Jordan stepped up with 17 seconds remaining and made a second-chance three-pointer to end the first half.
Pitt won the second quarter 20-17 but still went into the locker room down 36-29. Malcolm stepped up in the first half as the lead scorer, posting seven points total. King had five points and five rebounds in the first half as well.
The Panthers continued giving Louisville second chances going into the third quarter, and the Cardinals’ aggressive offense capitalized on each one. Cardinals sophomore forward Nyla Harris made a layup off an offensive rebound to start the second quarter. Pitt had some opportunities to capitalize on Louisville turnovers, too, but went 3-9 on layups in the third quarter.
Pitt struggled to gain momentum as the end of the third neared. Jordan picked up her second foul with 6:32 left in the third. As a result, the Cardinals extended their lead to 46-34. King posted seven more points, but the Cardinals maintained a 10-point lead despite every Pitt drive.
With 4:25 left in the third, Pitt head coach Tory Verdi took a full timeout to stop Louisville’s momentum. After the timeout, Jordan gave Pitt a short run and posted two field goals in a row, cutting the deficit down to six. After Pitt’s short run, Louisville responded with one of its own. Curry sank two three-pointers in a row, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 46-58.
Pitt couldn’t stop the Cardinals’ momentum as Louisville went on a 10-2 run at the end of the third. Pitt was down 62-48 going into the final quarter.
Louisville picked up where it left off in the fourth quarter. In the first two minutes, the Cardinals extended Pitt’s deficit to 18. Pitt’s defense dissolved under the Cardinal’s offensive pressure as Louisville went on a 6-0 run.
Verdi called a timeout halfway through the final quarter after Pitt struggled to find momentum despite Louisville’s turnovers. The Cardinals came out of the timeout without a change in pace and extended their lead to 72-54 with 3:30 left in the game.
The horn sounded, and despite Pitt’s persistent tenacity, it lost 77-58. The Panthers return home on Thursday to face off against Duke.