Istanbulluoglu scores 18 points, No. 3 Louisville holds off No. 6 Alabama to reach women's Sweet 16

Diana Collins grabbed the rebound and launched a shot from midcourt that bounced off the backboard, sending Louisville to a matchup Saturday against No. 2 seed Michigan in the Fort Worth 3 regional. The Cardinals will be making their 13th overall appearance in the Sweet 16.

“I thought it was in our best interest to miss and not give them an opportunity to set up a play to throw it down the floor,” Walz said of the final sequence. “If she makes that shot, it's a tough way to lose, but I thought the odds were more favorable to do that.”

Louisville's Sweet 16 quest required big plays with the Tide seemingly a basket away from changing the outcome. It also demanded resilience, and Cardinals players credited Berry for shaking off 1-of-7 shooting and the weight of the moment to sink both shots that provided the difference.

“We did a great job picking Imari up,” said Istanbulluoglu, who made 7 of 11 from the field to offset 1-of-4 shooting at the line. “We're going to have ups and downs sometimes, shots aren't going to go in. It happens. ... She didn't quit."

Tajianna Roberts also scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, while Laura Ziegler added 12 for Louisville, which won despite making 8 of 16 from the foul line and 7 of 26 from 3-point range.

Alabama freshman Ace Austin had 17 points, including five 3s, off the bench before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide shot 12 of 26 from behind the arc after attempting just 10 3s in their first-round victory over Rhode Island.

Collins finished with 14 points and Karly Weathers had 13, including a 3-pointer with four seconds left that got Alabama within one. The Tide outshot Louisville 46% to 45% but missed four consecutive attempts over the final 2 1/2 minutes, allowing Cardinals to grab a slight cushion.

“I think it's more what happened early in the game,” Weathers said. “But also credit to Louisville. They just made plays down the stretch.”

Every possession mattered in a game with 18 lead changes and eight ties, and Alabama made its presence felt from long range.

Collins' long-range shooting helped keep the Tide close. She went deep 4 for 5 times before going to the bench early in the fourth with her fourth personal foul and the Cardinals matching their biggest lead at 56-49.

Deciding factors

Both teams took 26 shots from deep and were nearly even from the floor. Louisville's 41-24 rebounding advantage — 14 offensive — resulted in a 14-7 scoring edge in second-chance points. Louisville also shot 12 more free throws than Alabama, which converted all four chances.

“We fouled 13 times, they fouled five,” said Tide coach Kristy Curry, pointing out that neither team shot a free throw in the first half. “Yeah, it impacted the game.”

Home protection

Louisville's successful weekend at the KFC Yum! Center provided an upside after the Cardinals dropped five on home floor, four by three points or fewer. They had the support of a crowd of 5,734 that made it noisy despite a noon weekday tipoff resulting in a slightly ragged start for both squads.

“They always show up,” Ziegler said. “We're grateful we could give them a win for the last home game this year."

Up next

Louisville faces second-seeded Big Ten member Michigan on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness