No. 13 Louisville pulled off a dramatic comeback Thursday night, erasing a 15-point second-half deficit to stun Stanford 75-73 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, thanks to Chucky Hepburn’s putback jumper at the buzzer.
With the game tied in the final seconds, Louisville’s Terrence Edwards launched a three-pointer that missed, but Hepburn was in the right place at the right time. As players scrambled for the rebound, the ball bounced straight to Hepburn, who calmly knocked down a 15-foot jumper as time expired to send the Cardinals (26-6) to the semifinals.
Louisville struggled early, trailing 33-30 at halftime before Stanford (20-13) appeared to seize control with an 11-0 run in the second half, extending its lead to 52-37. However, the game’s momentum shifted when Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud picked up his fourth foul with 13:30 remaining.
Louisville took full advantage, storming back to take a 70-65 lead with three minutes left, capped by Hepburn’s three-pointer and an assist to J’Vonne Hadley for a layup. Raynaud fouled out on the ensuing possession, but Stanford refused to go away, tying the game at 73 on Chisom Okpara’s three-point play with 32 seconds remaining.
After Edwards’ missed three-pointer in the final seconds, Hepburn’s heroics sealed the victory, sending the Cardinals to their 10th straight win.
Terrence Edwards led all scorers with 25 points, while Hepburn finished with 20, including the game-winner. Noah Waterman and James Scott each added 12 points. Oziyah Sellers scored 22 points to pace the Cardinal, while Raynaud added 17 before fouling out.
Raynaud’s foul trouble proved costly, as the Cardinal struggled to maintain momentum after he picked up his fourth. The loss likely sends them to the NIT. The Cardinals overcame the absence of Reyne Smith (ankle injury), their third-leading scorer (13.4 PPG), with a gritty second-half performance. Louisville outrebounded Stanford 32-28, a crucial factor in their comeback.
Louisville advances to the ACC Tournament semifinals to face No. 10 Clemson, while Stanford awaits its postseason fate, likely bound for the NIT.
