Alabama again comes up painfully short with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. There are no moral victories in basketball, but you have to be proud of this Crimson Tide team. The threes were falling all day, Ace Austin had the game of her early Alabama career, and there were opportunities to beat Louisville Monday afternoon on the road.
Austin showed how deadly she can be from beyond the arc, hitting five three pointers and really gives excitement over what the next three years can be for her in Tuscaloosa. Seniors Diana Collins and Karly Weathers did all they could to extend their season, including Weathers hitting three from downtown in the fourth quarter.
Louisville unfortunately weathered every Alabama barrage from beyond the arc, and second-chance points were the difference for the Cardinals. They outrebounded Alabama 41 to 24 and were led by Elif Istanbulluoglu, who grabbed 11 boards as well as putting up 18 points. Tajianna Roberts and Laura Ziegler also had double-digit scoring days, and despite struggling from the free-throw line, were clutch late in the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Tide.
This is the second year in a row where it seemed like the Sweet 16 was there for the taking, and you hate to see this group's season come to an end in such a fashion.
In addition to playing on the road, it did seem the refs gave a little home cooking to the Cards, but Kristy Curry did a good job of keeping her team focused.
As good as both Jessica Timmons and Ta'Mia Scott were for a majority of the season, you hate to see them struggle in their last games in Crimson. Just like last year, a lot of talent is graduating, so it will be interesting to see what comes via the transfer portal and recruiting as the foundation has been built, and sooner or later, Alabama will finally get over the first weekend hump.