No. 24 Louisville rallies past SMU in ACC tournament

Ryan Conwell scores 16 points, hits 2 key late shots to lead Cardinals to victory

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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No. 24 Louisville overcame a late deficit to defeat SMU 62-58 in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on Wednesday. Junior guard Ryan Conwell scored 16 points, including two crucial baskets in the final 1:17 to lead the Cardinals' comeback effort and advance them to the quarterfinals.

Why it matters

Louisville's win over SMU keeps the Cardinals in contention for a higher seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, which could impact their path through the bracket. The game also showcased the team's resilience in battling back from a late deficit against a tough conference opponent.

The details

Trailing 58-56 with under 2 minutes to play, Conwell hit a jumper to tie the game. He then drained a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to give Louisville the lead for good. The Cardinals held on defensively in the final seconds to secure the victory.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
  • Conwell hit the tying jumper with 1:17 remaining in the game.
  • Conwell hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left on the clock.

The players

Ryan Conwell

A junior guard for the Louisville Cardinals who scored 16 points, including two key late baskets to lead his team to victory.

Louisville Cardinals

The No. 24 ranked men's basketball team that rallied to defeat SMU in the ACC tournament.

SMU

The opponent that Louisville defeated in the ACC tournament game.

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What they’re saying

“We knew we had to dig deep and make some plays down the stretch. Ryan stepped up big for us when we needed him most.”

— Chris Mack, Head Coach, Louisville Cardinals

What’s next

Louisville will advance to the ACC tournament quarterfinals to face the winner of the North Carolina-Duke matchup.

The takeaway

Louisville's comeback win over SMU demonstrates the team's ability to overcome adversity and make clutch plays when it matters most, a valuable trait as they look to make a deep run in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.