CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive struggle that came down to the final possession, the Louisville Cardinals edged the SMU Mustangs 62-58 in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament second-round game Wednesday afternoon at Spectrum Center.

The game, played before a crowd of 8,116, was a stark contrast to the teams’ two high-scoring regular-season meetings, both won by the home team. This neutral-site affair was defined by missed shots, physical play, and a critical late-game surge by Louisville that finally created separation in a contest that featured 10 ties and 15 lead changes.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute with the score knotted at 58. After SMU’s Jaron Pierre, who led all scorers with 17 points, hit a driving layup to tie the game with 2:43 remaining, both teams traded empty possessions amid intense defensive pressure. With 29 seconds left, Louisville’s Ryan Conwell took matters into his own hands. The guard from Indianapolis drove hard into the lane, absorbed contact, and finished a difficult layup to put the Cardinals ahead 60-58.

SMU called a timeout to set up a final play. The Mustangs worked the ball to Pierre, whose deep three-point attempt from the top of the key was off the mark. Louisville’s Evangelos Zougris secured the crucial defensive rebound and was immediately fouled with 13 seconds left. The freshman from Greece missed the first free throw but calmly sank the second to extend the lead to 61-58.

The Mustangs, out of timeouts, rushed upcourt. Guard Boopie Miller’s contested three-pointer to tie missed long, and a scramble for the loose ball resulted in a held ball, with the possession arrow favoring Louisville. Conwell was fouled on the inbound and made one of two free throws with four seconds left to seal the four-point victory, SMU’s final heave falling short as time expired.

The entire second half was a tense back-and-forth affair after the teams entered halftime tied at 26. Neither team led by more than five points at any stage in the final 20 minutes. SMU’s interior defense, anchored by Jaden Toombs’ three blocks and the presence of 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu, challenged Louisville repeatedly at the rim. Conversely, the Cardinals’ perimeter defense harassed SMU into a poor shooting afternoon, with the Mustangs’ guards struggling to find consistent rhythm.

Louisville’s balance proved decisive. While SMU relied heavily on Pierre and Toombs, who added 13 points, the Cardinals had four players score between nine and 16 points. Conwell led Louisville with 16 points, including the decisive basket. Adrian Wooley added 14 points, while Isaac McKneely contributed 10 points and five assists, orchestrating the offense through the tough stretches. Zougris provided a vital spark off the bench with seven points and several key rebounds in the second half.

The first half set the tone for the defensive battle, with both teams shooting under 35 percent from the field. SMU built an early 9-2 lead behind five quick points from Corey Washington, but Louisville responded with a 13-2 run, fueled by Wooley and Conwell, to take a 15-11 advantage. The remainder of the half was a slog, with the teams combining for more turnovers than made field goals over a long stretch, leading to the deadlock at the break.

With the win, Louisville improved to 23-9 overall and advanced to the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The Cardinals will face the winner of the Duke and Georgia Tech game on Thursday. SMU’s season ends with a 20-13 record. The Mustangs, who had defeated Louisville 95-85 just three weeks earlier in Dallas, saw their hopes for an NCAA tournament at-large bid likely extinguished with the loss.

The game dramatically undershot the pregame over/under line of 164, finishing with a total of 120 points. Louisville, which had been a 7-point favorite according to sportsbooks, narrowly covered the spread with the four-point win. Interstat’s ELO system had given the Cardinals a 73.1 percent probability of victory entering the contest.