Louisville eliminates Lady Tigers in Sweet 16

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Danielle Ballard pumped in 24 points and added 10 rebounds en route to her third consecutive double-double of the NCAA Tournament, but the LSU women’s basketball team had its season come to a close during a 73-47 loss to third-seeded and No. 4 Louisville in Sunday’s NCAA Sweet 16 round as 11,097 fans at the KFC Yum! Center.

LSU (21-13) was playing in its second straight Sweet 16 under head coach Nikki Caldwell. The Lady Tigers had eight active players and were without two of their top four starters, Jeanne Kenney and Raigyne Moncrief, who were lost to injury over the team’s first two NCAA Tournament games.  

For Ballard, the 24 points on 12-of-25 shooting enabled her to put together three consecutive 20-point performances for the first time in her career. She also became the first player since former All-American Sylvia Fowles to secure three straight double-doubles.

Making her first career start, Jasmine Rhodes tacked on eight points, eight rebounds and two steals over her 31 minutes of action. DaShawn Harden and Theresa Plaisance provided seven points apiece. Shanece McKinney equaled her career-high with 10 rebounds before she fouled out.

Louisville (33-4) was sparked by Shoni Schimmel’s 19 points and six assists. The Cardinals sank a season’s best 12 three-pointers led by Tia Gibbs’ five triples off the bench. Antonita Slaughter registered 10 points, and Louisville amassed all 28 of the game’s bench points. The Cardinals squared off with No. 4 seed Maryland, a 73-62 winner over top-seeded Tennessee, in the Elite 8.