Richardon Slams Down the Exclamation as 'Canes Advance

The second quarterfinal matchup within the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men's Basketball Tournament featured the 6th-seeded Louisville Cardinals (23-9 overall, 11-7 ACC plus an ACC Tournament win over the SMU Mustangs) pitted against the 3rd-seeded Miami Hurricanes (24-7 overall, 13-5 ACC) who had advanced through the first two rounds of the conference tournament due to being a top-4 finisher in the ACC.

There were six lead changes and four ties within the first 7+ minutes of this bout.

At the media timeout that came at the 11:20 mark, Louisville led Miami 16-13.

An 11-7 run by the Hurricanes put them back in the lead, 24-23, at the media timeout that came at 7:59 remaining in the first half.

There were be three more lead changes and a tie within less than three minutes from that 7:59 mark, with the teams knotted up at 30 with 5:17 remaining.

A deep shot by junior guard Tru Washington gave Miami a three-point lead, 33-30, at the 4:41 mark.

Sixth-year guard J'Vonne Hadley made both of his freebies and followed with a layup to give Louisville a 34-33 lead with 3:17 on the first-half clock.

A missed jumper by Hurricanes' senior guard Tre Donaldson would keep the Cardinals in the lead at the halftime break, 38-37.

Overall, there were a total of 12 lead changes and six ties in the first 20 minutes of play, with the Cardinals responsible for the 12th and final lead change of the first half at the aforementioned 3:17 mark.

With just under 17 minutes remaining in the game, Miami led at the media timeout, 49-41, as a result of starting off the second half on a 12-3 run.

Louisville's offense would attempt to lighten the deficit, but their defense struggled to prevent Miami from scoring, with the Hurricanes ahead 61-54 at the media timeout that came at the 7:53 mark.

Senior guard Ryan Conwell would cash in on a jumper followed by an old-fashioned three-point play by Hadley to get the Cardinals within one possession, down 62-59, with 6:46 left in the game.

Washington would go 1-for-2 from the charity stripe, followed by Conwell going right at senior center Ernest Udeh, Jr., making his layup and the free throw that came after due to the foul by Udeh, After this attack by Conwell, the scoreboard read 63-62 Miami by the six-minute mark.

Senior forward Malik Reneau made one of his two freebies and then finished a Miami transition with a dunk to extend the Hurricanes to a two-possession lead, 66-62, with 5:20 remaining.

Conwell would miss a three-point attempt, but junior center Sananda Fru would head to the basket, grab the offensive rebound, and feed Conwell, who would be fouled and have the opportunity for a 1-and-1. He made both, resulting in the Cardinals being within one possession again, now at 66-64.

The opposite happened as Conwell did not get out to Washington in time. Washington had a clean look at a three that he did not waste, raising the 'Canes up to a 69-64 advantage.

Fru blocked Reneau on the way to the rim and the ball went off of Miami, giving Louisville possession by the two-minute mark. That extra possession for the Cardinals would end in a dunk by Fru.

Hadley would then steal the ball away from Donaldson, go up for a transition layup, miss, but senior guard Isaac McKneely would clean up the miss with his putback that brought the score to a one-point differential, 69-68 Hurricanes, with 1:23 to go in the contest.

Reneau was left underneath the basket and he made Louisville pay with a lay-in at the 59-second mark that gave Miami a 71-68 lead.

Immediately after, McKneely lost the ball to Washington and Washington was fouled. He would make both freebies, turning what was a one-point game to a five-point advantage in just 25 seconds.

Conwell's jumper put the Cardinals back within one possession, 73-70, with 45.9 to play.

Louisville put the full-court press on Miami and had Miami for a spell, but the Hurricanes eventually broke through, Donaldson was fouled, and he went 1-for-2 to bring the score to 74-70.

McKneely followed with free throws, the first going in and the second seemingly doing the same but it popped out, putting the score at 74-71 with 22 seconds to go.

Reneau had two free throws with 19.7 remaining, and he did not disappoint, making both to give Miami a two-possession lead, 75-71.

Freshman forward Shelton Henderson would block a three attempt by Conwell and then take the ball down the floor for a rim-rocker exclamation point.

Hadley would feed Fru at the rim for a lay-in right before the buzzer, but the Hurricanes were the ones moving on on the heels of a 78-73 victory.

Miami will advance to the ACC Tournament Semifinals to face off against the 2nd-seeded Virginia Cavaliers (28-4 overall, 15-3 plus an ACC Tournament win) who got past the N.C. State Wolfpack, by a score of 81-74.