The No. 24-ranked Louisville Cardinals rallied late to defeat the SMU Mustangs 62–58 on Wednesday in the second round of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, earning a spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Guard Ryan Conwell delivered the decisive plays in the final minutes, hitting two clutch shots in the last 1:17 to seal the comeback victory. Conwell finished with 16 points to lead Louisville, which improved to 23–9 and advanced to face the Miami Hurricanes in the quarterfinal round.
Adrian Wooley added 14 points for the Cardinals, while Isaac McKneely contributed 10. Louisville also received key interior production from Vangelis Zougris, who scored three critical baskets in the second half during the Cardinals’ comeback push.
SMU (20–13) was led by Jarron Pierre Jr. with 17 points, while Jaden Toombs added 13 points and nine rebounds. The Mustangs appeared poised to control the game late in the second half before Louisville mounted its rally.
The matchup began as a defensive struggle, with both teams grinding through a physical first half that ended in a 26–26 tie. Neither offense found much rhythm as possessions were slow and contested throughout the opening 20 minutes.
Early in the second half, SMU seized momentum. Back-to-back three-pointers from Sam Walters and Pierre—both from the right corner—pushed the Mustangs to their largest lead of the night at 41–35.
Playing their second game in as many days, SMU slowed the pace and looked to control the clock, stretching out possessions to shorten the game.
Louisville’s comeback began when SMU’s 7-foot-1 center Samet Yigitoglu picked up his fourth foul with 7:51 remaining and was forced to the bench. With the Mustangs’ primary rim protector sidelined, Zougris took advantage inside, scoring three baskets over a two-minute stretch that pulled the Cardinals back into contention.
Yigitoglu eventually returned with the score tied at 56 and three minutes remaining. Pierre briefly gave SMU the lead again with a driving layup, but momentum shifted after Mustangs forward Corey Washington left the game with a shoulder injury.
That’s when Conwell took control. The Louisville guard drilled a three-pointer with 1:17 remaining to give the Cardinals a 60–58 lead—their first advantage of the closing stretch. After SMU’s Boopie Miller missed a three-point attempt on the other end, Conwell attacked the lane and finished a left-handed layup with 29.4 seconds remaining to push the lead to four and secure the win.
Louisville managed the victory despite being without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr., who is sidelined for the remainder of the tournament with a back injury.
SMU must now wait to see if its season continues. The Mustangs are considered a bubble team for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and will anxiously await Selection Sunday.
Louisville, meanwhile, moves on to face Miami in the ACC quarterfinals Thursday as the Cardinals continue their push for a conference tournament title.
