Cards Edged by #10/10 Irish in Overtime, 78-76

Thursday, February 16

South Bend, Ind.

7 PM

University of Louisville

#10/10 Notre Dame

February 16, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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Notre Dame hit the game winner as time expired in overtime

By: Matt Paras

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The University of Louisville women's basketball team battled all night long but ended up on the losing end of a 78-76 result in overtime to #10/10 Notre Dame Thursday night at Purcell Pavilion. Olivia Cochran converted a layup to tie the score at 76 all with 3.8 seconds left but Olivia Miles hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Irish the win.

Hailey Van Lith led the Cardinals with 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting and was 3-for-4 from behind the arc and tied a career high with five steals. Chrislyn Carr added 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting and she was also 3-for-4 from three. Mykasa Robinson had a team-high five assists, her fourth-straight game leading the Cardinals in assists. Van Lith had a team-high six rebounds as the Cardinals out-rebounded Notre Dame 36-33 on the night. Coming into the game, Notre Dame had out-rebounded opponents by over 11 a night.

The Cardinals started red hot from the floor to begin the game. Louisville was 5-for-7 from the floor over the first five minutes. They continued the strong shooting to end the quarter, as they hit four of their last five shots to take a 21-17 lead after one. Van Lith scored 11 points in the opening quarter as she was 4-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-3 from behind the arc.

Both teams went on runs in the second quarter as Louisville ripped off seven-straight points to extend its lead to nine. Notre Dame responded with a 7-0 run of its own and it was a two-point game at the media timeout for the quarter. Defense tightened up for both teams towards the end of the quarter as the Cards were held scoreless for over five minutes and the Irish did not score over the final three minutes of the quarter. At the half, Louisville led 35-31.

Van Lith continued to lead all scorers with 11 points at the half while Robinson had a team-high four assists. The Cards out-rebounded the Irish 18-13 in the first half and scored seven second-chance points off of four offensive rebounds over the first 20 minutes.

The Cardinals began to be careless with the ball early in the third quarter and Notre Dame jumped back out in front. The Cards had four turnovers in five minutes and the Irish outscored them 13-7. The Cards regained the lead by the end of the quarter and held a slim 53-51 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.

The Cards were shot out of a cannon to start the fourth as they went on a 9-2 run. Carr scored seven of the nine points, including a three that forced Notre Dame to call a timeout with the Cards up 62-53 with 7:46 left. The Irish responded as they hit four of their next five shots to pull within one with just over three minutes left.

The Cardinals held the lead until less than a minute left when a Westbeld layup put Notre Dame up two. Louisville responded with a jumper from Van Lith to tie the score at 70 with 20.7 seconds left. The Cardinals played excellent defense and did not allow the Irish to get a quality shot and forced overtime.

In overtime, the Irish held a four-point lead with 14 seconds left but the Cards didn't quit. Van Lith made a driving layup and forced a steal to give the Cards possession. On the out of bounds play, Olivia Cochran muscled up for a layup to tie the game at 76 with 3.8 left. The Cards defended Miles well as she faded away towards the three-point line but her shot was good as time expired to give the Irish the win.

The Cardinals will return to campus before heading out on their final road game of the regular season this weekend. The Cardinals will ship up to Boston to take on the Eagles this Sunday, February 19. The Cardinals and Eagles are set to face off at 12 p.m. ET and it will be aired nationally on ACC Network.