Women's NCAA Tournament Albany 2 roundup: No. 11 Middle Tennessee upsets No. 6 Louisville

Field Level Media|published: Fri 22nd March, 16:00 2024

Savannah Wheeler 4 at the free throw line as The Louisville Cardinals take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 1st round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge, LA at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Friday, March 22, 2024. credits: SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 11 Middle Tennessee 71, No. 6 Louisville 69

Jalynn Gregory scored 24 points and Savannah Wheeler added 22 as No. 11 Middle Tennessee overcame an 18-point deficit to upset No. 6 seed Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament on Friday in Baton Rouge, La.

Anastasiia Boldyreva added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Blue Raiders (30-4), who will face the winner between No. 3 LSU and No. 14 Rice on Sunday.

Olivia Cochran had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Nina Rickards scored 12 to lead the Cardinals (24-10).

Middle Tennessee outscored Louisville 24-12 in the third quarter to take a 51-50 entering the fourth. It led by as many as eight points twice before the Cardinals got within two with 53 seconds remaining. Gregory made three of four free throws to push the lead to five.

Rickards made a jumper, but Gregory answered with two more free throws. Middle Tennessee made two of four more free throws and held on as Merissah Russell's desperate 3-pointer from the backcourt missed at the buzzer.

—Field Level Media