J'Vonne Hadley sat in front of his locker after one of the worst shooting games he's ever had and did something most players don't do.
The cruelest thing about March is not that it ends your season. It's that it ends your team.
Louisville spent most of Saturday afternoon within reach.
Mackenly Randolph scored 20 points to help Louisville pull away for a 72-52 win over Vermont in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
The trophy will also stop at IU Southeast in New Albany on April 15 from 4–7 p.m.
March had already written the ending.
By the time the NCAA Tournament reaches Saturday, the games tend to strip away the fluff.
Otega Oweh rescued Kentucky with a buzzer-beater from just inside half court to force overtime, then hit the tiebreaking free throws in the extra period as the seventh-seeded Wildcats beat No. 10 seed Santa Clara 89-84 on Friday.
The Louisville women’s basketball team has done the respectable things. It has grown up. It has gotten older. It has listened better. It has improved.
Pat Kelsey finally broke through with his first NCAA Tournament win, but Louisville’s near-collapse in an 83-79 escape over South Florida was a reminder that both coach and program are still learning how to land the moment.