It looked nothing like the game anyone was expecting, but Louisville found a way to gut out a 62-58 win its first game of the ACC Tournament Wednesday afternoon in Charlotte.
Cardinal star Ryan Conwell struggled mightily for most of the game, but made the two biggest shots of the contest to send the Cards into Thursday’s quarterfinal. His end-of-possession three-pointer with 1:17 to play put U of L on top by two at 60-58. After a missed three-pointer by SMU’s Boopie Miller, Conwell converted a tough driving layup to set the game’s final score. He finished with 16 points, but shot just 2-of-9 from three and had five turnovers against no assists.
Louisville also received a tremendous second half lift from Vangelis Zougris. The Greek center scored six straight points at one juncture and energized the entire team with his gritty defense in the post.
Like Conwell, Isaac McKneely also struggled with his outside shooting stroke, but found other ways to make a positive impact on the game. The senior sharpshooter was 2-of-7 from three but led the team in both rebounds (7) and assists (5).
Once again playing the role of point guard in the absence of injured freshman Mikel Brown Jr., Adrian Wooley scored 14 points, had 6 rebounds, and for a second straight game, committed zero turnovers.
The game was an unexpected slugfest between the two highest-scoring teams in the ACC. Both teams scored season lows of 26 points in the first half, and both shot well below their season averages from the field and from behind the three-point line.
The biggest differences in the game for Louisville were the 14 turnovers they forced SMU to commit, and the 13 point advantage they held over the Mustangs from the free-throw line.
It obviously wasn’t a thing of beauty, but I L.O.V.E. the fact that we just won a postseason game against one of the better offensive teams in the country by holding them to 58 points and making gritty plays down the stretch. It doesn’t guarantee anything moving forward, but it’s a potentially very positive development.
The Cards get a rematch with third-seeded Miami in the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon at the same time. Louisville took down the ‘Canes in Miami just four days ago, 92-89.
Let’s get hot and let’s stay hot.
