Michigan Defeats Louisville 71-52 in Sweet 16 of March Madness; Olson Scores 19 for Wolverines
Michigan shot 47% and forced 17 Louisville turnovers to dominate the Sweet 16, securing their second Elite Eight appearance in program history, coach Kim Barnes Arico said.
- On Saturday, March 28, 2026, the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Louisville Cardinals 71-52 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, advancing to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.
- Louisville controlled the opening quarter with a 15-9 lead, but Michigan responded with an 18-2 second-quarter run to take a 32-27 halftime advantage and seize momentum.
- Led by Olivia Olson's 19 points and Syla Swords' 16 points, Michigan shot 46.7% from the field, while Louisville shot 35.4% with Elif Istanbulluoglu scoring 18 points.
- Coach Jeff Walz said, "Besides Elif, who I thought was outstanding today again, we just didn't have really an offensive threat," reflecting Louisville's limited scoring options.
- Advancing to the Elite Eight, Michigan will face the winner of the Kentucky contest on Monday, March 30, with a Final Four trip to Phoenix at stake.
26 Articles
26 Articles
No. 2 Michigan beats Louisville 71-52 to reach Elite Eight
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Olivia Olson scored 19 points, fellow sophomore Syla Swords added 16 and No. 2 Michigan overcame a sluggish start for a 71-52 victory over Louisville in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
Tumultuous first quarter plants the seeds for Michigan victory over Louisville
FORT WORTH, Texas — It seemed like Saturday was going to be No. 3 seed Louisville’s day in the sun. Going up big in the first quarter was one thing, opponents come back from that. But holding a team scoreless for nearly an entire quarter is another thing entirely. The No. 2 seed Michigan women’s basketball team ended the opening quarter down 15-9 after an early pummeling. But as the quarter wore on, the Wolverines began to tighten up. While they…
Michigan 71, Louisville 52
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