Clemson (27-6 18-2 ACC) suffered a tough loss to Louisville (27-6 18-2 ACC) in the ACC Semifinals, as the Tigers were taken down 75-73 by the Cardinals in a hard-fought battle.
The game began with Clemson firing, particularly in the first 10 minutes. Ian Schieffelin led the way, shooting 4-5 from the field, scoring 8 points, and grabbing 4 rebounds. Schieffelin was dominant in the paint, capitalizing on every opportunity when Clemson could get him the ball.
However, Clemson’s momentum slowed as the first half progressed. Louisville went on an 11-2 run, led by key performances from Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr. The Tigers’ offense struggled to keep pace, and the defense began to let up.
The game became a contest of contrasting styles: Clemson’s frontcourt vs. Louisville’s backcourt. In the first half Schieffelin and center Viktor Lakhin combined for a total of 19 points for Clemson, while Louisville’s Hepburn and Edwards Jr. totaled 22 points.
The ACC Defender of the Year, Chucky Hepburn, made a major impact on both ends of the floor. In the first half, Hepburn recorded 9 points and 5 steals, locking down Clemson’s offense. His defense in the final four minutes of the half was particularly impressive, limiting Clemson to just 4 points during that stretch.
Trailing by 5 points at halftime, Clemson needed to find a way to contain Louisville’s fast-paced offense and shut down the duo of Hepburn and Edwards Jr.
The game was all Louisville up until the 2 minute mark where Chase Hunter turned up, knocking down shot after shot trying to give some courage to the rest of his team.
Unfortunately, the Tigers couldn’t match the Cardinals offens, which ultimately led to their downfall.
Despite the loss, Schieffelin and Hunter had standout individual performances, finishing with 14 points,12 rebounds, and 23 points respectively on the night, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win for Clemson as they lost to Louisville 75-73 on the night.
The Tigers will turn their attention to Selection Sunday on March 16th as they will see where this loss ranks them in the NCAA Tournament.
