Chase Hunter sat on the cold hardwood, waiting for a whistle he would never hear.
With 20 seconds remaining in the game and Clemson down by 2 points, everyone in the stadium knew who would take the final shot. As Hunter crossed by a defender at the top of the key, he went in for a layup to potentially send the game to overtime.
Two defenders converged, slamming against the guard and sending him flying back onto the floor.
No foul was called, letting Louisville run on to the ACC Championship. In an aggressive battle, Clemson fell to Louisville 76-73.
Everyone knows the old adage: defense wins championships. If this proves true, both teams looked qualified to be the ACC champion in the physical showdown of the ACC semifinals.
Hunter set the precedent for what would be a defensive showdown right from Louisville’s opening possession. Hunter intercepted a pass and finished a transition dunk for the game’s first points, but neither defense would let up for the next 40 minutes.
Clemson wasn’t the only participant in the hounding defense. Anytime Hunter crossed half court in the first half, Chucky Hepburn, Louisville’s hero the night before, followed him the whole frame in pursuit of the basketball — leading to a physicality closer to that seen on the gridiron, not the hardwood. Hepburn finished the first half with five first-half steals.
Hepburn’s effort was complimented nicely by Terrence Edwards Jr., who commanded the paint offensively and added a mid-range jump shot and a 3-pointer late in the first half to contribute to Louisville’s late run. The pair finished with 9 and 13 first-half points, respectively.
In the first half, Viktor Lakhin and Ian Schieffelin were Clemson’s heart and soul. Three and a half minutes into the game, Lakhin buried a contested three from the right wing on an assist from Hunter in a pick-and-pop.
A few possessions later, Schieffelin decided to take control, scoring on three straight possessions, including a second-chance bucket. Schieffelin’s physicality showed on the offensive boards. Just over 10 minutes into the contest, the Clemson veteran already had four offensive rebounds to his name.
The game remained deadlocked between the two sides for nearly the entire first half. Anytime one side scored, the other was right back to tie it up at 23, 26 and 28. Louisville gained the upper hand by going on a 10-2 run to end the half.
Clemson’s offense came out of the gates slow as their defense tried to contain Louisville’s offensive firepower. Still, the Tigers stayed within arm’s length due to the play of their veterans.
Just two minutes into the half, Hunter cashed a much-needed 3-pointer from the right wing from a good offensive possession in which everyone on the court for Clemson touched the basketball.
Later, Schieffelin finished a reverse layup to end a 0-for-8 field goal drought for the Tigers. Louisville allowed no easy points, even then, as Schieffelin ran back on the defensive end with blood gushing down his leg.
Louisville held the double-digit lead until just under three minutes to go in the half. By this time, the Tigers could have easily counted themselves out, having Lakhin already on the bench fouled out and multiple other players in foul trouble.
However, the Tigers turned ferocious with a full-court press that led to multiple steals. Before the Cardinals could look up, their lead had disappeared with a takeover performance from Hunter, and Clemson was knocking on the door.
Up by just two, Louisville had the chance to put the Tigers in a tough position, but the Tiger defense led to an airball from J’Vonne Hadley on the post fadeaway attempt.
The Tigers came down with a chance to extend the game, but Clemson’s chance at an ACC title was sent ricocheting away with Hunter’s layup attempt.
The Tigers will wait to hear their March Madness draw this Sunday to know their matchup for the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
