Hepburn Drains Game-Winner, Louisville Rallies Past Stanford in ACC Quarterfinals

The point guard drained a long two-pointer as time expired.

Louisville point guard Chucky Hepburn (24) / via the Atlantic Coast Conference

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kicking off their run in the ACC Tournament with a matchup against Stanford in the quarterfinals, the Louisville men's basketball program was able to mount a second half comeback, rallying to claim a 75-73 decision on Thursday at the Spectrum Center.

Trailing by 15 points with just under 15 minutes left the game, the Cardinals (26-6, 18-2 ACC) were able to take an eight-point lead with under two minutes to go. However, an 8-0 run by the Cardinal (20-13, 11-9 ACC) re-tied the game in the final seconds.

On the final possession, an offensive rebound off a Terrence Edwards Jr. miss was bounced out to Chucky Hepburn - who was standing on the left elbow - with less than a second left. He was forced to take a reactionary jumper, but nailed the shot as time expired.

Louisville not only earns their first win in the ACC Tournament since 2022, with the victory punching their ticket to the semifinals, it's the farthest they have advanced in league's tournament since joining the ACC 11 years ago.

Additionally, Louisville extends their winning streak to 10 consecutive. They've now won 20 of their last 21 since starting the season at 6-5.

While the previous win over Stanford was due to Louisville's defense, it was their offense that won the day. While it was clunky for large stretches, they still shot it 50.9 percent from the floor, including 8-for-23 on threes.

It made up for the defensive showcase that was far from it was in the last matchup. While Louisville won the rebounding battle 32-28 and forced 17 points off turnovers, Stanford was able to shoot it 46.4 percent from the floor and 11-of-26 on threes.

Edwards led the way scoring-wise, pouring in 25 points. Hepburn had 20 points and eight assists, Noah Waterman had 12 points and nine rebounds, and James Scott finished with 12 plus eight boards.

Louisville might have started the game on a 6-0 run, but they got off to an incredibly clunky start on the offensive end of the floor. They hit just two of their first 10 tries, including five straight misses over a span of 6:56, while also turning the ball over six times in the first seven minutes.

After the disjointed offensive start, the Cardinals' were able to pick up the slack, making nine of their last 14 field goal attempts of the opening period. However, their defensive efficiency then proceeded to take a massive step backwards. While the Cardinal started the game shooting 6-of-20, they ended the half going 8-of-10, handing UofL a 33-30 deficit at the half. It snapped a 20-game streak that Louisville maintained a halftime lead.

When the two teams returned, Stanford started to pull away with it. Not only did Louisville hit just three of their first nine shot attempts of the second half, the Cardinal made six of their first seven. This helped them go on an 11-0 run to by by 15 with 14:36 left to go.

But, when they absolutely needed it, the Cardinals with an S then landed a devastating counterpunch.

Defensively, Louisville was able to hold Stanford to just 6-for-19 throughout the rest of the half. Then on the other end, the Cardinals bounced back from their slow shooting start to go on a 10-for-11 hot streak - using that to outscore the Cardinal 36-to-13 over the next 13 minutes.

But despite leading 73-65 with 1:56 left, Stanford was able to make a late charge. They made back-to-back baskets and three free throws to tie the game in the final minute, setting up the game-winning sequence by Hepburn.

Next up, Louisville will face the winner of Clemson/SMU in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for Friday, Mar. 14 at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Next up, Louisville heads home to await their draw for the NCAA Tournament. The selection show is scheduled for Sunday, Mar. 16 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Chucky Hepburn via the ACC)

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