Architects of historic upset, 2013 Louisville women's basketball team inspires win vs Pitt
It didn’t feel like it’s been 10 years.
For Bria Smith and Antonita Slaughter, it was almost like yesterday when they were part of Louisville women’s basketball’s magical run to the NCAA Tournament national championship game during the 2012-13 season. Both are married and mothers now but came back to Louisville Sunday as that Cardinals team was recognized for the milestone anniversary.
“Just to be around each other and be around each other's families now and some of us have kids,” said Slaughter, who now lives in Missouri, a mother of four and is married to a basketball coach. “Just to get together, (we) haven't missed a beat, really.”
Louisville women's basketball schedule:How, when to watch Cardinals face Virginia Tech on Thursday
Sunday's crowd, which also came to watch an Atlantic Coast Conference game against Pitt, rained down cheers when Slaughter, Smith and almost all of the 2013 team — Shoni and Jude Schimmel were notable absences — took the court at the KFC Yum! Center.
“I think it just was a great feeling to be just out there playing our hearts every day and having a reward of getting as far as we went,” said Smith, who is located in Indianapolis with her husband and children.
The 2013 postseason run included an 82-81 regional semifinal over top-seeded Baylor, which had just completed a perfect 40-0 season the year before, an 86-78 win over 2-seed Tennessee, and a 64-57 win over Cal in the Final Four before it ended with a 93-60 loss to UConn in the championship game.
ESPN’s Kate Fagan deemed the Cardinals’ win over the Lady Bears the biggest upset in the history of the women’s basketball tournament. The network also nominated the contest for the Best Upset of the Year during the 2013 ESPYs.
“Definitely nobody was expecting it,” Smith said. “I think only our team felt like we could actually accomplish that. So, it was a great feeling to get it done and take the run as far as we did.”
The 2012-13 team has been a point of conversation lately during the current Cardinals’ practices. Head coach Jeff Walz mentioned how much joy and passion the 10-year-old squad played with, something this year’s team hopes to emulate.
Men's basketball:Louisville basketball falls to Wake Forest on same day 1983 Final Four team honored
“They knew they were the underdog, but they just loved to compete together,” current Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith said. “I think that's something that we can learn from them. In that second half (Sunday against Pitt), I think we found that. I hope we made those girls proud and they saw themselves a little bit in us.”
While they weren't underdogs, the 2022-23 Cardinals (13-5, 4-1 ACC) tapped into a similar joy and love for competing together by overcoming a sluggish defensive performance and gutting out a 76-69 win over Pitt for the regular-season sweep of the Panthers. (U of L had a much easier time putting away the Panthers in the first meeting Dec. 18 in Pittsburgh, downing Pitt 77-53 in the ACC opener.)
On Sunday, however, the Cardinals needed a full team effort to put the Panthers away. Down 69-68 with 1:46 to go in the game, Cardinals guard Chrislyn Carr swished a 3-pointer to ignite an 8-0 run to end the game, denying the Panthers (7-9, 0-5) their first ACC victory.
Van Lith capped off the run with two free throws after a defensive rebound from Mykasa Robinson, who provided Louisville with four rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes off the bench. Van Lith ended the game with a team-leading 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two blocks.
Norika Konno:'Special' night with family ends with Louisville women's basketball win
Here are three takeaways from Sunday's win:
Shooters shoot ... and make shots
Pitt’s zone defense didn't surprise Louisville. It’s been the Panthers’ preferred defense the last four games. What hasn’t been as consistent, though, is the Cardinals’ shooting from long distance. They shot 60% from 3-point range against Longwood on Nov. 25, then 28.6% against Ohio State five days later. The Cardinals knocked down 66.7% of their treys when playing SIUE on Dec. 6 but made only one against Kentucky on Dec. 11.
Sunday was an on day for Louisville, which shot 71.4% from the perimeter during the third quarter and 48.1% for the game. Carr made five shots (out of 10) from 3-point distance to total 18 points, complemented by four assists.
The last put the Cards up for good.
Chrislyn Carr:How winding path prepared senior for lone year with Louisville women's basketball
“It gives me a lot of confidence and most of that comes from my teammates trusting me and believing that I can knock the shot down,” Carr said. “Like I said before and I’ll say it again: I can't do any of this without my teammates. I'm just forever grateful and glad that they trusted me to knock it down.”
Van Lith went 3 for 3 from outside during the third period and finished with four 3-pointers.
Working on closing out
A 3-pointer from guard Norika Konno put Louisville up 58-51 in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Less than five minutes later, however, Pitt tied the game at 60 via a 9-2 run. The final half of the fourth quarter featured four lead changes and one tie.
Walz has seen his team find ways to win close games. The Cardinals did the same thing three days prior against Georgia Tech, beating the Yellow Jackets 63-55. The next step for the team, though, is learning how to put an opponent away so the game won’t have to be as close by the final buzzer.
“That's where I'm talking to our group about where we've got to get stronger in those times when we're ready to put somebody away,” Walz said. “Don't let them get the opportunity to get back in the game. … I was really proud of how we kept our composure and we made some big-time shots. We're down four with 3:15 to go. That's what it comes down to. You've got to figure out ways to win games.”
Follow the money:Louisville women's basketball is a national powerhouse. Why doesn't the revenue match?
Mykasa’s intangibles
Louisville fifth-year senior guard Mykasa Robinson won’t always fill up a stat sheet, but her hustle plays set her teammates up to do so. She shined during the late stages of the fourth quarter. With 42 seconds on the clock, Robinson’s outstretched hand deflected a Pitt pass. Van Lith came up with the ball and passed up the court to a running Robinson, who cashed in on the three-point play to increase U of L’s lead to 74-69.
In the waning seconds of the game, Pitt’s hurried effort resulted in Robinson nabbing a defensive board, which was followed up by two made free throws from Van Lith.
Walz noted those kinds of plays personify the player he’s seen develop since 2018.
“It's something you can't teach. It's heart. It's passion. It's grittiness,” he said. “She understands the game so well. She's at the right place at the right time. It's what makes her so good. She has been an absolute joy to coach, and I'm just going to enjoy these last 12, 13 regular season games with her, whatever we have, and hopefully a deep run in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.”
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville women's basketball beats Pitt: Hailey Van Lith with 18
