FORT WORTH, Texas — In the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament, seventh-seeded Louisville orchestrated a thrilling finish, defeating 10th-seeded Nebraska 63-58. Tajianna Roberts played a pivotal role, contributing 16 points, while Jayda Curry delivered in the clutch by sinking two vital free throws and drawing a game-turning charging foul in the final minute of play.
This victory propels the Cardinals (22-10) to an exciting matchup against second-seeded TCU, where they will encounter their former teammate, Hailey Van Lith. Louisville demonstrated resilience, overcoming adversity when Nebraska surged forward with a 10-0 run to kick off the fourth quarter. “This group is so special. We just don’t even know how good we are yet,” praised Olivia Cochran, who added 14 points in her fifth NCAA Tournament appearance.
Curry, who overcame a shoulder injury that forced her to miss the ACC tournament, netted 13 points and played a crucial role in helping the team recover from last year’s early exit. For Nebraska (21-12), standout performances came from freshman guard Britt Prince, who led with 14 points, Alexis Markowski who contributed 12 points along with 10 rebounds, and Amiah Hargrove with 10 points.
The game heated up when Louisville tied the score at 56-all with 2:20 remaining, thanks to Curry’s jumper. Despite defending awkwardly after the shot, Curry remained in the game and scored again following a smart offensive rebound and pass by Cochran. “Just a cramp… That’s all that was,” Curry noted, acknowledging the encouragement from teammates and coaches.
A critical moment came when, with Louisville hanging onto a 59-58 edge and 25 seconds left, Curry drew a charging foul against Logan Nissley. Quickly capitalizing on this, Curry secured two free throws, sealing the game. “I was really proud of how she had gutted out,” Louisville’s coach, Jeff Walz, remarked.
Earlier, Nebraska had enjoyed its largest lead at 32-27 following a layup by Prince. However, Louisville responded strongly with a 9-0 run, led by Roberts, to go up 36-32 at halftime. The Cornhuskers struggled offensively, enduring a long scoreless period until Markowski’s basket and free throw late in the third quarter. Nebraska closed the gap and took a lead in the fourth quarter before Louisville’s final surge secured the win.
Nebraska’s coach, Amy Williams, expressed the team’s mixed emotions, conveying, “It’s just the strangest emotion to feel like we’re not just happy to be here, so there’s a strong disappointment.”
Next, Louisville faces a significant test against TCU, signaling a fascinating contest as Van Lith, who transferred to LSU before joining TCU, goes up against her former team. Meanwhile, Williams, leading the Cornhuskers, showcased resilient coaching amidst tough competition.
The Cardinals are scheduled to challenge TCU on Sunday, who have proven formidable at home with an unparalleled 20-0 record this season, highlighted by their recent triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson.