No. 24 Louisville Rallies Past SMU in ACC Tournament

Ryan Conwell's late heroics lift Cardinals to 62-58 victory

Mar. 11, 2026 at 9:18pm

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In a hard-fought matchup at the ACC tournament, No. 24 Louisville overcame a late deficit to defeat SMU 62-58. Ryan Conwell led the Cardinals with 16 points, including two crucial shots in the final 1:17 to secure the comeback victory and send Louisville to the quarterfinals.

Why it matters

This win keeps Louisville's ACC tournament hopes alive as they look to secure a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals have been ranked in the Top 25 all season and this gritty performance against a tough SMU squad demonstrates their ability to win close games down the stretch.

The details

Louisville trailed SMU for much of the game, but Conwell stepped up late to lead the Cardinals' rally. He hit a key jumper with 1:17 remaining to tie the game at 56-56, then drained another shot with 30 seconds left to put Louisville up 60-58. The Cardinals then made their free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in the ACC tournament.

The players

Ryan Conwell

A key player for the No. 24 ranked Louisville Cardinals, Conwell scored 16 points and hit two crucial late shots to lead his team to victory.

Louisville Cardinals

The No. 24 ranked men's basketball team from the University of Louisville, competing in the 2026 ACC tournament.

SMU

The men's basketball team from Southern Methodist University, who fell just short against Louisville in the ACC tournament matchup.

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What they’re saying

“We knew it was going to be a battle, but the guys showed a lot of heart to come back and get this win.”

— Chris Mack, Head Coach, Louisville Cardinals

What’s next

Louisville will advance to the ACC tournament quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of another first-round matchup.

The takeaway

This hard-fought win demonstrates Louisville's resilience and ability to win close games, which will serve them well as they look to make a deep run in the ACC tournament and secure a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.