The Miami Hurricanes fell 77-68 in a tough matchup against the No.10 Louisville Cardinals on Thursday at the Watsco Center.
Amarachi Kimpson led the Hurricanes in double figures with 18 points, while Ra Shaya Kyle scored 10 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, leading the Miami defense and giving Kyle her 11th double-double on the season, which leads the ACC. Miami currently holds a 10–6 overall record and a 2–3 mark in ACC play, while Louisville holds a 15–3 record and remains undefeated in the ACC.
In the first quarter, the Hurricanes went on an 8–0 run against the Cardinals, scoring 14 points between four players, including six points led by veteran star Ahnay Adams, who also led on the defensive end alongside Kyle. However, the Hurricanes came up short at the end of the first quarter, trailing 17–14 against the Cardinals.
In the second quarter, the Hurricanes were able to tie the game at 20–20 with 7:40 remaining, and again at 23–23 with 6:49 left.
The second quarter was very competitive, and the Hurricanes were in control, especially after Kimpson converted one of two free-throw attempts. The Hurricanes finished the second quarter with a 21–16 scoring advantage over the Cardinals. At halftime, the Hurricanes had nine turnovers converted into 12 points and were able to out-rebound the Cardinals 23–18.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals opened with a strong drive, tying the game for the fifth time at 35–35, then went on a 13–3 run to build their first double-digit lead of the game. Louisville finished the third quarter up 27 points over the Hurricanes, who only scored 12 points.
In the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes regained momentum and went on a 9–2 scoring run to cut the margin to eight, scoring a total of 64 points. However, Louisville quickly responded with back-to-back three-pointers to post a 70–56 advantage. From there, the Cardinals continued to run their offense, closing out the game 77–68.
Following the loss, the Hurricanes will continue their three-game homestand on Jan. 11 against in-state rivals Florida State.
The Sunday matinee will tip off at the Watsco Center at 2 p.m. and will air on ACC Network, before Miami heads on the road to face the North Carolina Tar Heels on Jan. 15.