No. 13 Louisville is one step away from its first ACC Tournament title after a thrilling 76-73 victory over No. 10 Clemson in the semifinals on Friday night. Terrence Edwards led the Cardinals with 21 points, while J’Vonne Hadley added 20 points and nine rebounds in a hard-fought contest that saw Louisville (27-6) build a commanding lead before surviving a furious late push by Clemson (27-6).
Louisville appeared in control, leading 67-52 with just under four minutes remaining after holding the Tigers without a field goal for over six minutes in the second half. However, Clemson refused to go quietly.
Chase Hunter, who scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, ignited a late rally. His layup with 54 seconds left brought Clemson within two, 75-73, setting up a dramatic finish.
After a shot-clock violation gave Clemson a chance to tie or take the lead, Hunter drove to the basket, but Louisville’s James Scott came up with a clutch block, preserving the lead. The Tigers had one final opportunity after Chucky Hepburn, the hero of Louisville’s quarterfinal win over Stanford, split a pair of free throws with six seconds left. Hunter’s desperation three-point attempt at the buzzer missed, sealing the win for the Cardinals.
The Tigers showed resilience by nearly erasing a 15-point deficit late. Their defensive pressure forced multiple Louisville turnovers, which could be a blueprint for teams facing the Cardinals in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite their strong play for most of the game, Louisville struggled against Clemson’s full-court press. Ball security will be a key focus as they prepare for the championship game.
Hunter looked poised to tie the game with seconds remaining, but Scott’s timely defensive play kept the Cardinals in front. Clemson’s bench erupted in protest, but the officials let the play stand, a defining moment in the semifinal clash.
The game was physical from start to finish with 41 fouls called, as both teams made frequent trips to the free-throw line impacting momentum. Both teams will need to manage foul trouble heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers will await their seeding for the NCAA Tournament, where they could be a tough matchup based on their late-game fight. The Cardinals will face top-seeded Duke in Saturday night’s ACC Championship Game, seeking their first conference title.
With a championship at stake, Louisville will need to clean up its late-game execution to have a chance against a Duke squad that narrowly escaped North Carolina in the other semifinal.
