Louisville Cardinals vs Clemson Tigers
Edwards scores 21, No. 13 Louisville defeats No. 10 Clemson 76-73 to reach ACC championship game
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- — Terrence Edwards scored 21 points, J’Vonne Hadley added 20 points and nine rebounds and No. 13 Louisville beat No. 10 Clemson 76-73 on Friday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals.
Chucky Hepburn, the hero of Louisville’s dramatic 75-73 quarterfinal win over Stanford, added 12 points for the Cardinals (27-6).
Chase Hunter had 23 points for Clemson (27-6), while Ian Schieffelin had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Louisville is seeking its first ACC title on Saturday night, but No. 1 Duke, which held on to beat North Carolina 74-71 in the other semifinal, stands in its way.
The Cardinals held Clemson without a field goal for more than six minutes in the second half to built a 67-52 lead with 3:50 left.
But the Tigers cut their deficit to two with 54 seconds remaining on a layup from Hunter, who had 19 second-half points. After Louisville was called for a shot-clock violation, Clemson had the ball and chance to tie or take the lead.
But James Scott blocked Hunter's drive after switching off his man.
Hepburn made 1 of 2 free throws with 6 seconds left to make a three-point game and Hunter's leaning 3-point shot from 25 feet at the buzzer missed.
Clemson: The Tigers showed toughness battling back late in the fourth quarter and could prove to be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
Louisville: The Cardinals may have shown a vulnerability as the Tigers were able to turn them over repeatedly with a full court press down the stretch.
Scott's block on Hunter's layup was the game's biggest play, although Clemson was left screaming for a foul.
There were 41 fouls called in the game.
Clemson will await seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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Game Information
Charlotte, NC
Referee:Tony Henderson
Referee:Ted Valentine
Referee:Tommy Morrissey
2025-26 Standings
| Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 17-1 | - | 35-3 |
| Virginia | 15-3 | 2 | 30-6 |
| Miami | 13-5 | 4 | 26-9 |
| North Carolina | 12-6 | 5 | 24-9 |
| Clemson | 12-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Louisville | 11-7 | 6 | 24-11 |
| NC State | 10-8 | 7 | 20-14 |
| Florida State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-15 |
| California | 9-9 | 8 | 22-12 |
| Stanford | 9-9 | 8 | 20-13 |
| Virginia Tech | 8-10 | 9 | 19-13 |
| SMU | 8-10 | 9 | 20-14 |
| Wake Forest | 7-11 | 10 | 18-17 |
| Syracuse | 6-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| Pittsburgh | 5-13 | 12 | 13-20 |
| Notre Dame | 4-14 | 13 | 13-18 |
| Boston College | 4-14 | 13 | 11-20 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-16 | 15 | 11-20 |
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