Louisville dominates Syracuse 87-61 in ACC women’s quarterfinal, advancing with balanced scoring and defense

Quarterfinal result and setting

Louisville moved into the semifinals of the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament with an 87-61 win over Syracuse on Friday, March 6, at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. The matchup paired the tournament’s No. 2 seed (Louisville) against the No. 7 seed (Syracuse) and was televised on ESPN2.

The win improved Louisville’s record to 25-6 overall (15-3 ACC). Syracuse fell to 23-7 (12-6 ACC).

How the game unfolded

Louisville took control early, opening with a 25-12 first quarter. Syracuse steadied in the second period and trimmed the margin behind a 21-point quarter, but Louisville still carried a 45-33 halftime advantage. The decisive separation came after the break: Louisville held Syracuse to 14 points in the third quarter and matched that output in the fourth while scoring 17 and 25 in the final two periods, respectively.

Quarter-by-quarter: Syracuse 12-21-14-14 (61); Louisville 25-20-17-25 (87).

Efficiency and possession battle

Louisville’s advantage was built on shot-making and rebounding. The Cardinals shot 38-of-68 from the field (56%) while Syracuse finished 23-of-67 (34%). From three-point range, Louisville went 7-of-17 (41%) and Syracuse went 4-of-25 (16%), a gap that widened the scoring margin even when Syracuse reached the free-throw line more frequently.

Rebounding also favored Louisville, 43-34, with the Cardinals recording 23 assists on 38 made baskets. Syracuse logged nine assists, reflecting how often possessions ended in contested attempts rather than drive-and-kick or interior-to-perimeter sequences.

• Field goals: Louisville 56%, Syracuse 34%
• Three-pointers: Louisville 41%, Syracuse 16%
• Rebounds: Louisville 43, Syracuse 34
• Assists: Louisville 23, Syracuse 9

Key contributors

Louisville received scoring from multiple sources. Tajianna Roberts led with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Reyna Scott added 15 points and five assists, while Mackenly Randolph posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Imari Berry also scored 11 points and delivered five assists off the bench, helping Louisville maintain tempo and execution through lineup changes.

For Syracuse, Uche Izoje led with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and collected nine rebounds. Sophie Burrows scored 12 points and added nine rebounds, but Syracuse’s perimeter shooting (4-of-25 from three) limited its ability to convert stops into fast scoring swings.

Tournament context

The 2026 ACC women’s tournament runs March 4–8 in Duluth, with quarterfinals on March 6 and semifinals on March 7. Louisville’s quarterfinal performance positioned it for the next round with a statistical profile defined by efficient offense, strong rebounding, and a defense that disrupted Syracuse’s spacing and outside rhythm.