Louisville Women Snap Top-25 Drought, Hand UNC First Home Loss in Gritty OT Win
Louisville women’s basketball had been knocking on the door for a signature win all season. On Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, that door finally swung open - and the Cardinals didn’t just walk through it, they kicked it down.
In a 76-66 overtime victory over No. 11 North Carolina, No.
20 Louisville notched its first win over a ranked opponent this season, snapping an 0-3 skid in those matchups. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels suffered their first home loss of the year, going ice-cold in the extra period - 0-for-7 from the field - as the Cardinals took control and never looked back.
This was a win Louisville (10-3, 2-0 ACC) needed, and they earned it with grit, depth, and timely execution. The Cardinals had previously come up short against some of the nation’s best - No.
1 UConn, No. 18 Kentucky, and No.
3 South Carolina - but this time, they finished the job. And they did it by playing physical, disciplined defense and getting major contributions from their bench, which poured in 26 points on the day.
North Carolina (9-3, 0-1 ACC), still in search of a ranked win themselves, struggled to find rhythm offensively. The Tar Heels shot just 38% from the field - their worst shooting performance since a November loss to UCLA - and the offense completely stalled in overtime. That final five minutes told the story: Louisville made plays, North Carolina didn’t.
Louisville Closes Strong After Late-Game Wobble
The Cardinals led for most of the game and only trailed twice - once in the third quarter and again in the final seconds of regulation. With under 10 seconds to go, Louisville was down 66-65, but neither team could capitalize on late opportunities. Missed free throws and turnovers on both sides led to a chaotic finish, and freshman Imari Berry sent the game to overtime by splitting a pair at the line.
Head coach Jeff Walz acknowledged the rough patch to end regulation but praised his team’s resilience.
“We had a bad 2 ½ minutes there to end regulation. We weren't as clean or crisp with execution as I thought we could've been,” Walz said.
“But what I was proud of was we fought. We didn't quit.”
That fight showed up in overtime, where Louisville outscored UNC 10-0. It wasn’t flashy - just tough, physical basketball. The kind that wins games in March.
Bench Boost and Berry’s Breakout
Berry, who finished with 13 points, was a spark off the bench and a stabilizing presence when foul trouble hit early. Anaya Hardy picked up two quick fouls in the first four minutes, and Berry stepped up with poise beyond her years.
Walz sees something special in the freshman.
“She’s a kid that, if she can figure it out, she can be one of the best players in this league, if not one of the best players in college basketball,” he said. “She can do things, athletically, that others can't, and she's so smooth.
I'm trying to get her to think the game. Understanding the game - it's so important.
It can separate the good players from elite players.”
Berry wasn’t alone. Three Louisville starters scored in double figures, led by Laura Ziegler’s 17 points.
Elif Istanbulluoglu added 16, and Taj Roberts chipped in 11. It was a balanced attack, and that depth made all the difference down the stretch.
A Game of Runs - and Responses
Louisville built multiple nine-point leads throughout the game, only to see UNC claw back each time. In the first quarter, a 23-14 advantage was trimmed to two.
In the second, a 36-27 lead shrunk to three before Berry’s buzzer-beater gave the Cards a 38-33 edge at halftime. And in the third, a 51-42 cushion evaporated into a five-point margin heading into the fourth.
To their credit, the Tar Heels made runs - but Louisville had answers.
UNC owned the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cards 15-10, and briefly took the lead in the final minute. But when it mattered most, Louisville locked in defensively and made the hustle plays that win close games.
Looking Ahead
Louisville now has six days to prepare for another ranked opponent - No. 17 Tennessee - in the Women’s Champions Classic. Before that, they’ll return home to take on Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday night, a tune-up before another big-stage opportunity.
For Walz and the Cardinals, this win is more than just a number in the standings. It’s a statement - that this team can hang with the best, and more importantly, that it can finish.
“Overall, if we continue to make strides, if we continue to just buy into the team aspect of things and not worry about individual stuff, we have a chance to be a pretty good basketball team,” Walz said.
On Sunday, they looked like a team ready to take that next step.