(Photo Courtesy of the Atlantic Coast Conference/ ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament)
The Louisville Cardinals squashed the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Friday evening to advance to the ACC Women’s Tournament semifinals. The Cardinals will face the third-seeded Syracuse Orange in a battle for the ACC Women’s Championship.
Greensboro, NC — The No. 7 Louisville Cardinals keep on dancing as they face No. 17 Syracuse in the ACC Women’s Tournament semifinals.
The No. 17 Syracuse Orange finished the regular season strong winning the final nine contests of the season. The Orange racked up wins against then No. 16/17 Miami at Miami and then No. 10/9 Florida State at the Carrier Dome.
Alexis Peterson is pacing the Orange posting 14.7 points per game and grabbing a team-best 71 steals on the season. Brianna Butler falls close behind adding 14.1 points per game and connecting on an ACC-best 108 shot from beyond the arc. Rounding out the top scorers is Bria Day. Day averages 10.2 points per game and pulls down a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game.
Syracuse Quiets the Wolfpacks Howls
The third-seeded Syracuse Orange put a muzzle on the NC State Wolfpack in an 80-61 decision.
Syracuse was lights out from beyond the arc hitting a game-high 12 three-point shots. Brianna Butler led the Orange in threes firing off five of her own.
The Orange came out hot in the first period out scoring NC State, 21-12. Syracuse held State scoreless for nearly four minutes while the Orange went on an 11-0 run. Brianna Butler hit back to back shots from beyond the arc to put Syracuse up, 16-7 with 2:37 remaining in the first period. State’s Jennifer Mathurin ended the drought for the Wolfpack firing off a three.
What NC State lacked in the first period, they made up for in the second period. State outscored the Orange, 16-13. A shot beyond the arc by Ashley Williams cut the Syracuse lead to one, but a clutch three from Butler put the Orange back on top by four. Syracuse took a 34-28 lead into the half.
NC State could not stop Syracuse’s long-range game. The Orange fired off five three pointers in two minutes to take a nine-point lead. NC State could not mount the momentum needed to claw their way back into the game.
Syracuse mounted a huge fourth period, out scoring the Wolfpack 25-16 and ending State’s hope of advancing.
The second-seeded Cardinals and the third-seeded Orange tip-off at 2:30 PM EST. The contest will air on ESPNU.
** Also seen on Swish Appeal.
