CRAWFORD | Louisville women again can’t close the deal, fall 78-72 to No. 11 Oklahoma

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The University of Louisville women’s basketball team fell prey to an old nemesis on Wednesday night, and we’re not talking about No. 11-ranked Oklahoma.

Once again, the Cardinals found themselves up by double digits late in the third quarter against a nationally ranked opponent. All they needed to do was land the plane.

Instead, again the task eluded them. Two key baskets — and a pair of game-clinching free throws — by former Louisville guard Peyton Verhulst enabled Oklahoma to escape with a 78-72 victory in the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville’s third loss of the season to a ranked team, and third in which they have held a lead during the third quarter.

Verhulst finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. It was the second time in as many nights in which a former Cardinal led the way in beating a Louisville team in its home arena, after Dre Davis accomplished it for Ole Miss on Tuesday night.

Oklahoma outscored Louisville 27-12 in the fourth quarter. The Cards have now been outscored 72-40 in the fourth quarters and overtime of their three losses.

“I thought we played really, really well,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “We’re so close to being a Top 10, Top 15 basketball team. But we’re also so close to just being average. Because you’ve got to show up every night.”

Louisville battled major foul trouble. Leading scorer Olivia Cochran fouled out with more than two minutes to play. Nyla Harris fouled out in the final minute. Jayda Curry played much of the second half with four fouls.

Still, the Cardinals bothered Oklahoma with pressure defense most of the game and forced 28 turnovers. They couldn’t turn those into enough points, however, to offset being outscored by eight points in the paint and nine points beyond the three-point line.

Cochran finished with 17 points to lead Louisville one of five players in double figures. Merissah Russell added 14 and Tajianna Roberts 13. Curry had 11 and Harris 10.

Oklahoma shot 56 percent in the fourth quarter and 53 percent for the second half after trailing by 12 at halftime.

The Cardinals led the game for 30:23, but not when it mattered most.

“There’s a lot of things we’ve got to look at and continue to press and challenge our players with,” Walz said. “Because I’m telling you we’re right there. We have a chance to be really, really good. . . . I like this group. And I think they’re realizing what it takes to face these Top 10, Top 15 teams.”

Next up on Saturday for Louisville is a visit to No. 2-ranked Connecticut in the Women’s Champions Classic in Brooklyn, a game that will be televised on FOX, WDRB-41 at 9 p.m.