Istanbulluoglu scores 18 points, No. 3 Louisville holds off No. 6 Alabama to reach women's Sweet 16
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Elif Istanbulluoglu had 18 points and a key steal with 1:42 remaining that led to Reyna Scott's one-handed jumper as the shot clock expired, Imari Berry added two free throws with 8. 2 seconds left and third-seeded Louisville held off No.
6 seed Alabama 69-68 on Monday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament . The Cardinals (29-7) reached their first Sweet 16 since 2023 despite several missed late free throws. Istanbulluoglu made 1 of 2 foul shots and Scott missed both with 2.
3 seconds to go to give the Crimson Tide one last chance for a desperation basket. Diana Collins grabbed the rebound and launched a shot from midcourt that bounced off the backboard, sending Louisville to a matchup Saturday against No. 2 seed Michigan in the Fort Worth 3 regional.
The Cardinals will make their 13th overall appearance in the Sweet 16. Tajianna Roberts also scored 18 points while Laura Ziegler added 12 for Louisville, which won despite making just 8 of 16 from the foul line and 7 of 26 from 3-point range. Ace Austin had 17 points, including five 3-pointers, off the bench for Alabama before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The Crimson Tide shot 12 of 26 from behind the arc (46%) after attempting just 10 3s in their first-round victory over Rhode Island. Collins had 14 points and Karly Weathers 13 including consecutive 3s in the fourth quarter. Every possession mattered in a game with 18 lead changes and eight ties, and Alabama made its presence felt from long range.