Alabama women’s basketball’s season will end in the second round of the NCAA tournament after a wild game that featured 18 lead changes and eight ties.
The sixth-seeded Crimson Tide fell to third-seeded Louisville with a 67-61 loss on Monday after a fourth-quarter battle against the 13th-ranked Cardinals on the road.
After a third quarter that featured five lead changes and three ties, Alabama (24-11) found its first lead of the fourth quarter with 5:31 left to play, following back-to-back 3-pointers from Karly Weathers, which gave the Tide a 59-57 lead.
Louisville forward Elif Istanbulluoglu hit a 3-pointer of her own less than a minute later to give the Cardinals their lead back with 4:50 left to play. Jessica Timmons’ layup tied the game for the final time at 61 points apiece with 3:51 left to play before Louisville closed out the game.
A 3-pointer from Karly Weathers with 4 seconds left made it a 1-point game, but a half-court heave at the buzzer from Diana Collins after Louisville’s Reyna Scott went off the backboard.
Monday’s loss ends the Crimson Tide’s season in the second round of the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year and the fourth time in its last five trips to March Madness; Alabama lost in the first round in 2023 and has not advanced to the Sweet 16 since the 1998 season.
Alabama freshman Ace Austin led the Crimson Tide with 17 points, including a 5-for-8 line from beyond the arc in her 25 minutes of play. Diana Collins scored 14 points while Karly Weathers finished with 13 points. The senior also led the team in rebounds (5) and steals (4).
Louisville’s Istanbulluoglu and Tajianna Roberts scored 18 points each for the Cardinals, with Istanbulluoglu also grabbing 11 rebounds for a double-double. Mackenly Randolph led all players with 13 rebounds as Louisville outrebounded the Crimson Tide 41-24 in the matchup.