Virginia ends No. 8 Louisville’s streak with late three, winning 74-72 at KFC Yum! Center

Virginia rallies late to hand Louisville a rare ACC home loss

LOUISVILLE — Virginia closed the final minute with the decisive shot and defensive rebound Sunday, defeating No. 8 Louisville 74-72 in an Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball game at the KFC Yum! Center. The result moved Virginia to 19-8 overall and 11-5 in league play, while Louisville fell to 24-5 and 14-2 in the ACC.

The game turned in the closing seconds when Romi Levy knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds left, converting after Virginia used time to set up a half-court look. Louisville had two late chances to respond, but the Cardinals’ final corner 3 at the horn came up short, and Levy secured the rebound to finish the possession and the game.

How the final possessions unfolded

Louisville briefly regained control late when Imari Berry went to the line with 31.4 seconds remaining and made one of two free throws to put the Cardinals in front 72-71. After a Virginia possession that produced Levy’s 3, Louisville still had opportunities: Reyna Scott missed a layup attempt with four seconds left, and Louisville retained possession for a final inbounds play that set up the last shot.

Virginia led for most of the afternoon but needed one clean look from deep and one final stop to finish the upset.

Key performances and matchup factors

Virginia’s Kymora Johnson led the Cavaliers with 16 points, with Levy providing 15 and Paris Clark adding 14. In the frontcourt, Tabitha Amanze posted 11 rebounds alongside nine points, giving Virginia a steady presence on both ends even as Louisville controlled the glass overall.

For Louisville, Elif Istanbulluoglu scored 20 points on efficient shooting. Scott finished with 16, while Berry added 12. Laura Ziegler delivered a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds and also had seven assists, reflecting Louisville’s reliance on half-court creation as the game tightened.

• Virginia shot 49% from the field and 44% from three-point range.
• Louisville shot 37% overall, despite making eight 3-pointers.
• Both teams committed 14 turnovers, but Virginia’s higher shooting efficiency offset Louisville’s 39-31 rebounding advantage.

Injury note and conference implications

Louisville’s scoring leader, Tajianna Roberts, exited midway through the first quarter with a left leg injury. Louisville trailed 41-30 at halftime after a cold second quarter and spent much of the second half erasing the deficit, but the final shot swung the outcome.

In the ACC standings context, the loss further complicated Louisville’s pursuit of first place, with Duke entering the day atop the league. Virginia’s win marked its 11th conference victory, a threshold the program had not reached in a season since 1999-2000.

Next, Virginia is scheduled to host North Carolina on Thursday night, while Louisville is set to visit Georgia Tech on Thursday night.