Cardinals Muscle Past Hurricanes, 74-56

Thursday, January 2

LOUISVILLE, KY

7 PM

University of Louisville

Miami

January 02, 2025 | Women's Basketball

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Jayda Curry scored a season-high 21 points in the win

By: Matt Paras

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville women's basketball team (9-5, 2-1) returned home for the first time in nearly three weeks and did not miss a beat in its 74-56 win over Miami (11-3, 1-2 ACC) Thursday night at the KFC Yum! Center. Louisville raced out to an early lead and did not look back as the Cardinals won their third-straight game and improved to 2-1 in ACC play.

Jayda Curry paced the Cardinals with a season-best 21 points as she shot 6-for-12 from the field, 4-for-9 from three and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Tajianna Roberts scored all 14 points of her points in the first half to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Olivia Cochran scored in double figures for the third-straight game with 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting and tied a season high with three steals. Facing her former team, Ja'Leah Williams nearly tallied a triple double as she had eight points and team-bests seven rebounds and seven assists to go with four steals.

In the first quarter, Louisville was active in the passing lane to force five turnovers and recorded four steals that led to six fast break points. Curry and Roberts each scored six points as the Cardinals shot 62.5 percent from the floor and held a 23-14 lead after one.

Roberts got into double figures in the second quarter with her second three of the game that extended the lead to 13 and forced Miami to burn a timeout. The Cardinals defense clamped down and did not allow Miami to hit a shot over the final 3:41 of the second quarter. Louisville shot well again from the floor as they hit 8-for-16 shots in the second and took a 43-27 lead into the half.

The Cardinals lead grew above 20 in the third quarter as an 8-0 run gave them some more cushion in the middle of the quarter. It was spearheaded on back-to-back steals that ended with layups on the other end. Roberts had the first steal that ended with a Nyla Harris layup and Cochran had the second steal and finished it at the other end for the layup. Curry scored 12 of her 21 points in the third quarter as the Cardinals held a 65-40 lead into the final frame.

Curry continued her hot second half by making the first three of the fourth quarter to extend the Cardinals lead to the largest of the game at 28. Miami cut into the lead a bit later in the quarter but the Cardinals lead was too much to overcome.

The Cardinals will head back out on the road as their next two games are away from home. Louisville will close the weekend out in Winston-Salem on Sunday afternoon as they take on Wake Forest. The Cardinals and Demon Deacons will square off at 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.