Louisville Cruises Past UT Martin Behind Dominant Paint Showing

The Cardinals scored 52 points in the paint - their most since last season.

Louisville women's basketball forward Olivia Cochran / University of Louisville Athletics

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

MARTIN, Tenn. — The No. 18 Louisville women's basketball team (2-1) took care of business in its 86-64 win over UT Martin (0-2) at the Elam Center Tuesday night. The Cardinals had a balanced effort across the board as they scored 19 or more points in each quarter and had four players score in double figures in the win.

The Cardinals were strong in the paint as Nyla Harris and Olivia Cochran led the way with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Louisville scored a season-high 52 points in the paint as a team against the Skyhawks. It is the most points in the paint since November 16, 2023, when they had 62 against Bellarmine.

Tajianna Roberts continues her breakout freshman season as she poured in 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting for the night. After a slow first half, Roberts scored 11 points in the third quarter on 5-for-5 shooting in the frame, including a three-pointer to beat the buzzer to end the quarter. She is the only Louisville player to score in double figures in all three games this season.

Imari Berry had another strong game for the Cardinals as she was the fourth player in double figures with 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting. She also had a team-best nine rebounds on the night, the second-straight game she has led the team in rebounding.

The Cards jumped out to an early lead thanks to Harris in the first quarter. She scored eight points on 3-for-3 shooting as the Cards scored 16 of their 25 points in the paint over the first 10 minutes of play.

The lead continued to grow in the second quarter as Louisville ripped off a 17-0 run after allowing the first points of the quarter. After halftime, Roberts took over in the third quarter to officially put the game out of reach.

The Cardinals wrap up their two-game road swing this weekend for the annual Battle of the Bluegrass. Louisville will travel down I-64 to Lexington for a top-20 battle against the Wildcats. The 18th-ranked Cardinals and the 20th-ranked Wildcats will square off at Memorial Coliseum on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET and it will be streamed on SEC Network+.

(Photo of Olivia Cochran via University of Louisville Athletics)

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