Louisville downs Syracuse, 72-62, to win seventh straight

Louisville closed a two-game homestand with a 72-62 win over Syracuse to extend its win streak to seven games.

The Cardinals improved to 13-5 overall and 6-1 in ACC play, while the Orange drop to 7-10, 1-5.

Tajianna Roberts, a three-time ACC Rookie of the Week honoree, paced UofL with a 13-point outing. Ja’Leah Williams finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with seven assists.

Jayda Curry scored 12 points, with Nyla Harris and Olivia Cochran both going for 10 points. Elif Istanbulluoglu came off the bench to score nine points.

The Cardinals struggled from the field throughout the second quarter, connecting on just 26.3% during the frame. The visitors used UofL’s cool shooting, aided by five second quarter turnovers, to grab the lead briefly before the Cardinals used an 8-0 run to build a 33-30 halftime lead.

Louisville opened the second half by hitting 11 of 15 shots in the third quarter to take a 59-51 advantage into the fourth quarter.

After pushing its lead to a dozen early in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals again went cold from the field. UofL went over seven minutes without a field goal, missing eight straight attempts, but converting from the free throw line allowed the hosts to keep its scoring edge. A layup by Olivia Cochran with 51 seconds left ended the near eight-minute stretch without a bucket.

UofL head coach Jeff Walz, along with players Ja’Leah Williams and Jayda Curry discussed the win with the media.

Watch a replay of the post-game press conference in the videos below. Continue to scroll for game photos.

Louisville shot 46% for the game, including a 5-for-15 performance from beyond the arc. UofL won the rebound battle by 11.

Up next for the Cardinals is a Sunday trip to Virginia Tech. Tip is set for 4pm with the ACC Network providing the broadcast. The visit to Blacksburg, Va., will kick off a string of three straight road games.