Louisville women's basketball falls to Duke in OT thriller in ACC Tournament final

The Cardinals couldn't hold on to a late lead, losing 70-65 to the Blue Devils in the conference championship game.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The second-seeded Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team fell to the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils 70-65 in overtime in the ACC Tournament final. Louisville had a four-point lead in the final minute of regulation but couldn't hold on, as the game went to overtime where Duke outscored the Cardinals 10-5 to secure the victory and back-to-back ACC Tournament titles.

Why it matters

This loss denies Louisville their second ACC Tournament crown and first since 2023. The Cardinals are still projected to be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but this defeat is a tough way to end their conference tournament run.

The details

Louisville opened the game strong, leading by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. But Duke used a 5-0 run to take a 51-49 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals responded with a 6-0 run to regain the lead, but turnovers and scoring droughts down the stretch allowed Duke to force overtime. In the extra period, the Blue Devils outscored Louisville 10-5 to secure the victory.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA.
  • Louisville and Duke had also met a month ago in the regular season.

The players

Jeff Walz

The head coach of the Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team.

Kara Lawson

The head coach of the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team.

Imari Berry

The leading scorer for Louisville with 18 points in the game.

Taj Roberts

A Louisville player who converted a steal into a layup to give the Cardinals the lead in the fourth quarter.

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What’s next

Louisville will have the week off as it awaits its NCAA Tournament seeding. The Cardinals are projected to be a No. 3 seed in the Sacramento 2 region.

The takeaway

Despite the tough overtime loss in the ACC Tournament final, Louisville remains in good position to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament as a projected No. 3 seed. This game showcased the Cardinals' ability to compete with top teams like Duke, and they will look to use this experience to fuel their NCAA Tournament push.