Taylor, Hot-Shooting Louisville Race Past Georgia Tech

Taylor had a season-best 31 points, and the Cardinals hit a season-high 12 threes

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

ATLANTA, Ga. — The No. 20 Louisville women's basketball team (22-6, 11-4 ACC) bounced back with a 80-62 win over Georgia Tech (15-13, 6-10 ACC) Thursday night at McCamish Pavilion. Louisville was lights out behind the arc in the win as they hit a season-high 12 three-pointers as they picked up their seventh road win of the season. With the win, Louisville improved to 11-0 all-time against Georgia Tech and 6-0 after a loss this season.

Sydney Taylor had her best game in a Louisville uniform in the win over the Yellow Jackets. She scored a team-best 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting and was 7-for-12 from behind the arc. The 31 points were the most by a Louisville player this season and the seven three-pointers were the most by a Louisville player this season. It is the most threes made by a Louisville player since Dana Evans hit seven against Boston College on Jan. 16, 2020. Taylor also added four rebounds, four assists and tied a career high with four steals.

Olivia Cochran led the team with 12 rebounds on the night as was just short of a double double with eight points. Jayda Curry tied a season high with three made three-pointers and she was in double figures with 13 points.

After Georgia Tech scored the first four points of the game, Louisville went on a torrid run that lasted most of the first quarter. The Cardinals scored 17 of the next 19 points in the game, including a 7-0 spurt that grew the lead to double digits and forced Georgia Tech to burn a timeout. After the first quarter, Louisville held a 21-13 lead. Taylor scored eight points in the opening quarter and Cochran tallied six rebounds over the first 10 minutes of play.

The hot shooting continued into the second quarter for the Cards, as they hit four of their six shots from the floor to begin the quarter and were 2-for-2 from behind the arc. The Louisville defense also stepped up in the second quarter as they held the Yellow Jackets scoreless for over a four-minute stretch in the quarter. Taylor was lethal for the Cards in the second quarter as she was 4-for-4 from the floor and 3-for-3 from behind the arc and scored 15 points in the frame. At the half, Louisville held a 43-28 lead over Georgia Tech.

Taylor had 23 points at the half and was 5-for-8 from behind the arc. Cochran had a team-best nine rebounds in just 18 minutes of play and added six points. The Cardinals as a team shot 57.1 percent (16-for-28) from the floor in the first half.Louisville kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter as it grew the lead as high as 20 points. The Cards shot a blistering 63.6 percent (7-for-11) from the floor in the third quarter and they were a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc.

Georgia Tech cut into the Louisville lead with a 11-0 run in the fourth quarter but the closest they would get the deficit was 11 in the final quarter.

The Cardinals will return to campus to begin their final homestand of the regular season over the weekend. Louisville welcomes the Virginia Cavaliers to the KFC Yum! Center for a Sunday matinee matchup. The Cardinals and Cavaliers are set to face off at 12 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast nationally on The CW.

(Photo of Jayda Curry: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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