No. 10 Louisville opens second half strong en route to a victory against Miami
Miami took a two-point lead into halftime. Ten minutes later, Louisville had taken control.
The 10th-ranked Cardinals blitzed the Hurricanes 27-12 in the third quarter and closed out a 77-68 win Thursday afternoon at the Watsco Center. Miami (10-6) fell to 0-4 against Top 25 opponents this season, and Louisville (15-3) delivered coach Jeff Walz his 501st career victory, a week after he and UM’s Tricia Cullop each hit 500.
“We’re playing them [Top 25 teams] pretty hard, but, on the other side, we want to see a win. I think that we just need to put together a full four quarters,” said center Ra Shaya Kyle.
Miami led 35-33 at the break after an 8-2 close capped by Meredith Tippner’s layup at the horn. Louisville answered with a 10-0 burst early in the third, turned stops into run-outs and never trailed again. The script echoed their last meeting, when Miami also led at half and was outscored after the break.
Two numbers framed the afternoon: bench points and ball security. Louisville’s reserves outscored Miami’s 38-12, and the Hurricanes committed 18 turnovers to the Cardinals’ 15. Louisville shot 46% to Miami’s 41%.
Junior guard Amarachi Kimpson led Miami with 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting, adding five rebounds and five assists. Kyle posted a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. Ahnay Adams had nine points and eight boards. Vittoria Blasigh scored 10 with two three-pointers, and Natalie Wetzel added nine points and six rebounds.
Louisville’s Elif Istanbulluoglu scored 23 on 9-for-14 shooting, including two three-pointers. Guards Imari Berry and Skylar Jones came off the bench with 16 and 12. Forward Mackenly Randolph, whose father is former NBA All-Star Zach Randolph, scored six; he was recognized on the video board during the second quarter.
Cullop pointed to the response, if not the result. “I was really proud of the effort,” she said, noting Miami’s fourth-quarter push after the third swung the game. She added, “I love how tenacious our team was today, that we didn’t back down.”
The Hurricanes opened the fourth 5-for-6 and closed on a 7-0 run, but the third-quarter gap held. Miami also played without starting point guard Gal Raviv, who broke her nose after taking an elbow to the face in practice this week, according to Cullop. (Her return will depend on pain tolerance and medical clearance).
Kyle’s leadership echoes through a young roster. When shots wobble, her message stays the same: “Shoot it. I’m not gonna be mad at you. I’m rebounding, I’m looking for you.” According to her, the rest is simple: keep confidence, stay calm, and play together.
The first half showed the blueprint. Adams’ baseline jumper got Miami going, Kimpson kept pressure on the rim, and after Louisville nudged ahead late in the second, the Hurricanes stacked three straight layups from Wetzel, Kimpson and Kyle to retake the lead. Blasigh added a step-back 3 before Tippner beat the buzzer for the 35-33 edge.
Part of Miami’s supporting cast Thursday was the Dillard High School Marching Band. With UM’s band tied up by the football team’s Fiesta Bowl game later in the day, Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High School band filled the building from pregame on. Postgame, the Hurricanes walked over to thank them.
“It was awesome to see Dillard High School fill in, they were amazing,” coach Tricia Cullop said. Cullop, who played tenor saxophone in high school, added: “I think I can accurately rate that. They’re good.”
Miami is still hunting its first Top 25 win. The Hurricanes host Florida State on Sunday, then get another ranked shot at North Carolina next Thursday in Chapel Hill.
“I don’t think that there’s a game where the people are just gonna come out there and we’re just gonna lay down,” Kyle said.
“I think that you really have to really try to beat us. It’s just not going to be a cakewalk.”