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A tight game throughout the first three quarters saw the Lady Vols with a one point lead as the game went to the fourth. But the final frame belonged to Louisville: Tennessee missed its first 12 shots of the fourth quarter, allowing the Cardinals to build an 11-point lead with less than five minutes to play. The Lady Vols would get no closer than five from there, and the Cardinals made enough free throws to pull away for the 75-64 home win.
The superstar guards weren’t at their best. Diamond DeShields had 15 points but was just 3-of-12 from the floor. Louisville’s Asia Durr had 23 points on 22 shots, 1-of-8 from the arc. But Mariya Moore was 5-of-5 from three for Louisville, helping off-set a big night from Jamie Nared with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Vols won’t reach the Sweet 16 for only the second time in the tournament’s current format. An up-and-down season ended on a down note as Holly Warlick wasn’t able to make it back to the Elite Eight as she’d done three times before. She’ll welcome back most of this roster and welcome in a highly-touted freshman class looking to build on the disappointment of this season.