Louisville basketball veterans have March Madness showing to remember in first-round win

Olivia Cochran and Merissah Russell were the first two Louisville women’s basketball players on the court out of halftime.

Spirits were up as the seventh-seeded Cardinals enjoyed a 36-32 halftime lead over 10^th-seeded Nebraska. It was a stark contrast from a year ago when they sat at a podium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with tears in their eyes. If anyone understood the disappointment of a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, they did.

Up to that point, Russell and Cochran had never not gone to the Elite Eight during their college careers. That included a Final Four appearance in 2022. Jeff Walz built Louisville into a powerhouse program during his nearly two decades with the school with two national championship appearances during that time.

So, losing in the first round of the postseason was unacceptable. It was a message that Russell and Cochran made sure to emphasize to Louisville’s eight freshmen.

They listened.

Louisville avoided last year’s fate by taking a 63-58 win over Nebraska on Friday. That’s what Cochran and Russell are used to. And that’s the standard Louisville has set.

Taj Roberts understood the assignment and helped the Cardinals take the lead over the Cornhuskers at the intermission with 12 second-quarter points. The tradition of success is, in part, why she chose to come to Louisville.

The same goes for Jayda Curry, whose first NCAA Tournament was last year. She’s seen from afar what Louisville has built and was determined to contribute to that success. In the final three minutes of the game, the California native drew two charges and scored six points.

Louisville still has an uphill battle to keep its season going. It’ll take Curry, Roberts, Cochran and Russell to help the squad pull off the upset over second-seeded TCU on Sunday. But it wouldn’t be the first time the Cardinals have had a little postseason magic. Twelve years ago, Louisville made the national championship game as a 7-seed.

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Veterans key Louisville win vs Nebraska in Women's March Madness

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