LOUISVILLE, Ky. — J’Vonne Hadley delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a career-high 32 points and collecting 10 rebounds, leading Louisville to a 74-64 victory over Clemson on Tuesday evening.
Hadley showcased his accuracy by shooting 10-of-12 from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while also converting 9 of 11 attempts from the free-throw line. His teammate, James Scott, contributed significantly as well, achieving his second career double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a pair of blocks, having made all five of his field goal attempts.
With this win, Louisville improved its record to 11-5 overall and 4-1 within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), marking their fifth consecutive victory.
For Clemson, Chase Hunter was the standout scorer, netting 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and sinking three 3-pointers. Ian Schieffelin and Jaeden Zackery each made notable contributions, with Schieffelin scoring 10 points to go along with 10 rebounds, while Zackery added another 12 points. Jake Heidbreder chipped in with 10 points as well.
Clemson initially took a six-point lead, their largest of the night, when Chauncey Wiggins scored in the lane with just over three minutes remaining in the first half. This was quickly followed by a dunk from James Scott seven seconds later, and then Hadley took control, scoring seven straight points. Reyne Smith contributed with a 3-pointer shortly before Hepburn made two free throws, culminating in a remarkable 14-0 run. As a result, Viktor Lahkin’s free throw allowed Louisville to narrow the halftime deficit to 42-35.
The second half featured a surge from Heidbreder, who sandwiched a couple of 3-pointers around another long-range shot from Zackery, closing the gap to just two points about nine minutes into the period. However, Khani Rooths countered with a 3-pointer of his own before Hadley extended Louisville’s lead with a layup, two free throws, and a paint bucket, providing the team with a 65-54 advantage with 7:21 left on the clock. From that point onward, Clemson was unable to recover, trailing by at least nine points for the remainder of the game.