Tennessee women’s basketball falls in Sweet 16 loss to Louisville
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee is out of the Women’s NCAA Tournament with the Lady Vols falling in the Sweet 16 Saturday to Louisville.
Taking on the top-seeded Cardinals in the Wichita Region, the Lady Vols were able to put up a strong fight throughout the afternoon. Despite an 11-point deficit at halftime, Tennessee battled back and nearly tied the game up to start the 4th quarter.
The Lady Vols opened the final quarter with an and-1 bucket from Alexus Dye. That cut Louisville’s lead to 55-53, but Tennessee was unable to get any closer.
A turnover by the Lady Vols started an 8-0 for the Cardinals with Louisville eventually hitting free throws to coast to the 76-64 win. The loss prolongs another drought for Tennessee.
Appearing in their first Sweet 16 since 2016, the Lady Vols will miss the Elite 8 once again and have not made it to the Elite 8 since 2016. Tennessee is also looking for its first Final Four appearance since 2008 when it last captured the national title.
Rae Burrell led the Lady Vols with 22 points while Jordan Walker added 10 points and 4 assists. Hailey Van Lith had 23 points for Louisville to lead all scorers while Emily Engstler had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Cardinals.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
