Louisville Cardinals fall 73-62 to Duke in program’s 1st ACC Championship game
Updated: 11:03 PM EDT Mar 15, 2025
The Louisville Cardinals put up a valiant effort in their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championship game but came up short.The Cardinals led the Duke Blue Devils at the halftime break 38-33.Going into the second half, the Cards led by a couple of possessions a few times early, but Duke punched back. As the game moved below the 10-minute mark, Duke had taken a double-digit lead.The Cards kept fighting, however, bringing the score within nine points a few times before the final buzzer.Duke ultimately took their 28th ACC Tournament Championship by a score of 73-62.Both teams were down key players in the contest. Duke didn’t have prospective NBA No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, and Louisville was without its senior guard Reyne Smith.Terrence Edwards Jr. led the Cards in scoring with 29 points while Chucky Hepburn had 14. Edwards and Khani Rooths each had six rebounds.Louisville shot 39 percent from the field and 27 percent from three-point range, much of the poorer shooting coming in the second half.Kon Kneuppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James all led Duke scoring in double-figures. The Blue Devils shot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. The disparity between the teams in free throw percentage was an issue for the Cards. They made 50 percent of their shots at the charity stripe compared with Duke making 79 percent.What’s next Now, Louisville will wait to see what its seeding will be in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday. You can watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Selection Show on WLKY at 6 p.m. Sunday.This will be the Cardinals’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 following a tumultuous end to Chris Mack’s coaching tenure in 2022 and two losing seasons under Kenny Payne from 2022 to 2024.New head coach Pat Kelsey, the ACC Coach of the Year, has the program back where it’s used to being, a competitor in March.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —The Louisville Cardinals put up a valiant effort in their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championship game but came up short.
The Cardinals led the Duke Blue Devils at the halftime break 38-33.
Going into the second half, the Cards led by a couple of possessions a few times early, but Duke punched back.
As the game moved below the 10-minute mark, Duke had taken a double-digit lead.
The Cards kept fighting, however, bringing the score within nine points a few times before the final buzzer.
Duke ultimately took their 28th ACC Tournament Championship by a score of
73-62.
Both teams were down key players in the contest. Duke didn’t have prospective NBA No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, and Louisville was without its senior guard Reyne Smith.
Terrence Edwards Jr. led the Cards in scoring with 29 points while Chucky Hepburn had 14. Edwards and Khani Rooths each had six rebounds.
Louisville shot 39 percent from the field and 27 percent from three-point range, much of the poorer shooting coming in the second half.
Kon Kneuppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James all led Duke scoring in double-figures. The Blue Devils shot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.
The disparity between the teams in free throw percentage was an issue for the Cards. They made 50 percent of their shots at the charity stripe compared with Duke making 79 percent.
What’s next
Now, Louisville will wait to see what its seeding will be in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.
You can watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Selection Show on WLKY at 6 p.m. Sunday.
This will be the Cardinals’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 following a tumultuous end to Chris Mack’s coaching tenure in 2022 and two losing seasons under Kenny Payne from 2022 to 2024.
New head coach Pat Kelsey, the ACC Coach of the Year, has the program back where it’s used to being, a competitor in March.
