No. 25 Louisville withstood a second-half surge from Florida State on Saturday, defeating the Seminoles 89-81 to extend their win streak to five games. Chucky Hepburn’s clutch performance down the stretch, highlighted by five crucial free throws, helped the Cardinals secure their 21st win of the season and remain firmly in contention at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Cardinals (21-6, 14-2 ACC) jumped to a commanding 39-19 lead late in the first half. However, Florida State (16-11, 7-9 ACC) mounted a strong comeback in the second half, trimming the Louisville lead to just six points multiple times. Despite the Seminoles’ resilience, Louisville held its ground with key contributions from Hepburn, J’Vonne Hadley, and Terrence Edwards Jr.
Hepburn, who finished with 29 points, struggled from the field but found his rhythm at the free-throw line, making 17 of 19 attempts. His timely free throws in the final minutes helped the Cardinals maintain their lead. Hadley added 18 points, while Edwards chipped in 16, with both players contributing key baskets to stave off Florida State’s rallies.
The Seminoles, who had won three of their last four games coming into the contest, were led by Jamir Watkins, who scored 23 points, and Malique Ewin, who added 19. Despite their efforts, Florida State struggled with its shooting, finishing 5-of-21 from beyond the arc (23.5%) while Louisville shot 33.3% from deep. The Cardinals’ dominance at the free-throw line, where they finished 30-of-34, proved to be the difference, as they attempted nearly twice as many free throws as Florida State.
With under a minute to go, Hepburn made a pivotal steal and was fouled by Florida State’s Daquan Davis. He calmly sank both free throws to give Louisville an 83-75 advantage. Hepburn’s fallback three-pointer earlier in the game, with the shot clock winding down, had previously extended the lead to 79-64 and further demoralized the Seminoles.
Florida State fought back late, as Daquan Davis made a layup to cut the deficit to 81-75 with 1:05 remaining. However, Hepburn and Edwards sealed the game at the line, ensuring Louisville finished the season sweep over the Seminoles.
The Seminoles began the game out of sync on both ends of the floor but regrouped after halftime. They made things interesting in the second half, but struggled with shooting and couldn’t overcome Louisville’s free-throw advantage.
Though never trailing, the Cardinals never seemed fully in control and needed every one of Hepburn’s free throws to secure the win. Their ability to execute at the line, combined with solid performances from their key players, kept Florida State at bay.
Louisville shot 33.3% from three-point range, while Florida State managed just 23.5% from deep. The Cardinals attempted 34 free throws, converting 30 (88.2%), while Florida State made only 13 of its 16 attempts (81.3%).
Florida State will host North Carolina on Monday night, looking to bounce back after a tough loss. Louisville travels to Virginia Tech on Tuesday night for its next ACC matchup.
