
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In an exciting showdown, Chucky Hepburn clinched his team’s victory by sinking five critical free throws at the end of the game, finishing with a remarkable 29 points. J’Vonne Hadley also contributed significantly, scoring 18 points, as the No. 25 Louisville Cardinals fought hard to secure an 89-81 win against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday. This win marked the Cardinals’ fifth straight victory of the season.
Louisville (21-6, 14-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) established a commanding 39-19 lead late in the first half. However, the Seminoles put up a strong fight in the second half, repeatedly narrowing the gap to as little as six points. Hadley and Terrence Edwards Jr., who scored 16 points, executed key layups that extended their lead to a double-digit margin. Hepburn then added a basket in the paint, along with two free throws, pushing the score to 74-61.
Hepburn’s timely 3-pointer right before the shot clock expired stretched Louisville’s lead to 79-64. Yet, Florida State fought back and managed to make it a close game, trailing 81-75 after Daquan Davis scored a layup with just over a minute remaining. Hepburn responded with three successful free throws, followed by two from Edwards, and Hepburn capped it off with two additional free throws with just 14 seconds left, sealing a season sweep of the Seminoles for Louisville.
On the Seminoles’ side, Jamir Watkins led the scoring with 23 points, while Malique Ewin added 19. Florida State (16-11, 7-9) had entered this game on a positive note, having won three out of their last four matchups.
Hepburn’s outstanding performance included making 17 of 19 free throw attempts, compensating for a less-than-stellar shooting night, where he went 5-of-13 from the field. The Cardinals finished the game shooting 50% (26 of 52) overall and an impressive 88.2% (30 of 34) from the charity stripe.
**Takeaways:**
Florida State appeared disconnected at both ends in the first half but regrouped after halftime, making the game competitive down the stretch. Despite leading throughout, Louisville was always at the brink and relied heavily on Hepburn’s free throws to maintain their advantage.
**Key Moment:**
A pivotal play came when Hepburn stole the ball, was fouled by Daquan Davis with just 53 seconds left, and converted both free throws.
**Key Stats:**
Louisville hit 33.3% of its 3-point attempts, while Florida State struggled, making only 23.5%. Louisville also took twice as many free throws in the game.
**Up Next:**
Florida State is scheduled to host North Carolina on Monday night, while Louisville will travel to face Virginia Tech on Tuesday.