LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In an impressive victory, the Louisville Cardinals triumphed over No. 23 Florida State with a score of 83-69 on Thursday night, showcased by standout performances from both Tajian Roberts and Jadya Curry, who each contributed 17 points to the scoring tally.
In addition to Roberts and Curry, Nyla Harris made a significant impact, scoring 14 points and securing nine rebounds. Imari Berry also added to the offensive effort with 11 points. Notably, Olivia Cochran reached a significant milestone, achieving 1,000 total rebounds in her career, underscoring her prominence on the court.
On the opposing side, FSU’s Ta’Niya Latson, who leads the nation in scoring, exceeded her average by netting 29 points, moving up to second place on the school’s all-time scoring list. She is now just eight points away from the 2,000 career points mark. O’Maria Gordon supported the Seminoles with her own contribution of 15 points as Florida State fell to 19-6 overall, holding an 9-4 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The game had an entertaining backdrop as it coincided with a halftime ceremony celebrating Sue Semrau, the all-time winningest coach at Florida State. However, the loss dampened the occasion for the Seminoles, who struggled offensively, marking it as their lowest scoring game of the season; they typically record a nation-leading average of 92.1 points per game.
The Cardinals made an assertive start after Latson opened the scoring with a jumper. Following that, Harris and Curry combined for a quick 9-2 run. Elif Istanbulluoglu capped the first quarter with a three-pointer, closing it at 25-12 in favor of Louisville.
Louisville maintained a 44-28 advantage at halftime, capitalizing on Florida State’s poor shooting from beyond the arc, where they went just 1 of 13, alongside an overall shooting percentage of only 34%. In the third quarter, the Seminoles did attempt a comeback, stringing together an 8-0 run to cut the score to 58-50 with a three-point play from Gordon.
However, Roberts responded with a crucial three-pointer, pushing Louisville ahead 63-52 as the game entered the final quarter. The Cardinals expertly maintained their double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.
Louisville shot at 48% accuracy overall and connected on eight three-pointers while enjoying a considerable advantage in rebounding, 47-34. Florida State struggled significantly, hitting only 3 of their 20 attempts from three-point range, resulting in an overall shooting percentage of 38%.
Looking ahead, Florida State is set to compete against Miami on Sunday, while Louisville will face a challenging match next Thursday against No. 13 Duke.
