The Clemson women’s basketball team came up short against No. 22 Louisville on Sunday, losing 65-54 at Littlejohn Coliseum in the team’s ACC opener.

Trailing by as much as 15 in the game, Clemson opened up the fourth quarter with urgency and efficiency. Scores by Taylor Johnson-Matthews and Raven Thompson rattled Louisville and forced turnovers that gave Clemson life. By the 3:19 mark in the final quarter, the Tigers had only a 4-point deficit.

However, the Cardinals quickly regained control and steadied the game. Laura Ziegler was a key contributor in the final minutes, securing the road to a solid win for the Cardinals.

The Tigers, 3-2, 0-1 ACC, came out strong, quickly grabbing an early lead behind junior guard Rusne Augustinaite, who scored 7 points on perfect shooting in the opening minutes. It wasn’t long until Louisville retaliated with buckets from Tajianna Roberts, Mackenly Randolph and Ziegler. Clemson committed several turnovers, allowing Louisville to capitalize and close the first quarter with a 15-11 lead.

The Cardinals, 3-1, 1-0 ACC, dominated the second quarter, opening with an 8-0 run fueled by Elif Istanbulluoglu, who scored two early layups, and set up Roberts for a three. The Tigers struggled to create clean scoring opportunities and failed to capitalize on key opportunities. Ending the half, Louisville still dominated 30-20.

Clemson came out of the third quarter with energy, scoring quickly, but its offensive struggles got in the way. Free-throw struggles proved costly for the team, rattling players and affecting their confidence on the court. Louisville took control with an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter before the Tigers’ final push.

Augustinaite finished with 17 points in the loss, her third game in double-digits so far this season. Thompson has 12 points of her own, while Mia Moore added 11 points and five assists in the loss.

Next up, head coach Shawn Poppie and his team will head on a short trip to Greenville, South Carolina, to face Furman on Sunday.