Nebraska Falls Short Against Louisville 63-58 in NCAA Tournament Showdown

Nebraska Women’s Basketball Ends Season in First Round of NCAA Tournament

The Nebraska Women’s Basketball team concluded its season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a record of 21-12 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten for the year 2025.

The No. 10 seeded Huskers faced off against No. 7 Louisville (22-10, 13-5) and lost a close game, 63-58, at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cardinals will move on to play No. 2 TCU, who easily defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 73-51 on March 23.

Nebraska opened the fourth quarter strong, scoring the first 10 points, but Louisville countered with an 11-2 run to secure their victory. The Cardinals, ranked 29th nationally for offensive rebounding, tallied 18 offensive rebounds and a total of 39 rebounds overall, surpassing Nebraska’s efforts.

The Huskers struggled with their ball control, committing 24 turnovers that led to 27 points for Louisville. Additionally, the Cardinals dominated in the paint, scoring 32 points in that area, which was 12 more than Nebraska. The Huskers managed a 44% shooting percentage while Louisville finished at 37%. Nebraska made 8 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc.

Freshman guard Britt Prince topped the Huskers’ scoring with 14 points, along with three rebounds and six assists. Senior center Alexis Markowski contributed with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Markowski’s illustrious career concluded with a program record of 53 double-doubles and she ranks second in total rebounds with 1,220.

On the opposing side, Tajianna Roberts led Louisville with 16 points, including 12 in the second quarter. Olivia Cochran added 14 points and five rebounds, while Jayda Curry contributed 13 points, scoring six of them in the crucial fourth quarter.

Louisville’s Speed and Defensive Pressure Shift Momentum Against Nebraska

Prince kicked off the game with an early 3-pointer for Nebraska, followed by Markowski hitting another 3 for an 8-6 lead. Cochran added six points in the opening quarter, including two fast breaks within the first minutes of play, outpacing Markowski.

Following a media timeout, both teams experienced a scoring drought for four minutes. Nebraska finally broke the silence with a bucket by Petra Bozan, briefly leading 12-8 before finishing the first quarter ahead 16-14.

Logan Nissley began the second quarter with a three-pointer, giving Nebraska its largest lead at 23-18 after a fastbreak jumper from Prince. However, Louisville responded with a 6-0 run, outpacing Nebraska 27-26 midway through the quarter. A series of baskets from Amiah Hargrove and Prince briefly regained the lead for the Huskers at 32-27 before Roberts led Louisville on a 9-0 run, ending the half with the Cardinals up 36-32.

Throughout the game, turnovers and offensive rebounds plagued Nebraska. They relinquished 11 turnovers in the first half, allowing Louisville to capitalize with 17 points. A significant portion of Louisville’s first-half scoring—12 points—came from fast breaks and transition opportunities.

Louisville Fends Off Nebraska’s Late-Game Rally

A quick layup by Roberts started the second half, but another scoring drought ensued for both teams, lasting five minutes. The Huskers struggled further, failing to score a field goal for nearly seven minutes until Markowski ended the drought at 3:36 with a layup and a free throw.

Shortly after, Prince drilled a three-pointer, narrowing Louisville’s lead to 44-39. Hargrove scored the last five points of the third quarter, and Louisville headed into the fourth with a 50-44 advantage.

The Huskers came alive in the fourth, scoring the first 10 points to take a 54-50 lead. However, Louisville responded quickly, with their first field goal of the fourth quarter coming from Mackenly Randolph with 5:28 left. Following some back-and-forth scoring, Nebraska tied the game at 58-58 with a layup from Prince.

Louisville edged ahead with a free throw from Cochran, and after Nebraska committed an offensive foul, the Cardinals extended their lead with more free throws, ultimately sealing their victory at 63-58.