UM beats Louisville 78-73 to advance to ACC tournament semifinals
The Miami Hurricanes tipped off their run in the ACC Tournament with a victory on Thursday afternoon, taking down the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals in a quarterfinal thriller, 78-73.
After failing to qualify for the conference tournament just one season ago, first-year head coach Jai Lucas’ Canes will clash with the Virginia Cavaliers with a chance to advance to Saturday’s Championship game tomorrow night at 7 PM on ESPN.
In a rematch from the regular season finale, where Miami’s game-tying half-court heave rimmed out in a narrow loss to Louisville, the Hurricanes advanced in the dance and earned their sixth quad one win of the season (6-5).
“Just proud of the way we competed, and especially the start of the second half. It really turned the game for us and gave us the ability to create some separation. For some reason, we get bored and like to make the game interesting,” Lucas said. “It’s a credit to Louisville. You knew they were going to make a run. To play somebody (twice) within five days is always hard to do.”
Despite being less than five dollars to get in the door, the quarterfinal clash featured 15 lead changes, six ties, and a blistering pace of play. And Miami guard Tru Washington stole the show in the game’s final minute, intercepting Louisville’s inbound pass and putting the comeback attempt to bed, capitalized by a Shelton Henderson run-out slam at the buzzer.
UM saw three in double figures, led by Malik Reneau’s 24 points and six rebounds, Tre Donaldson’s 14 points and six assists, and Tru Washington’s 17 points.
“I had to apologize to (Reneau). I was yelling at him during the game, then I looked down, and he’s got 24 (points) and 6 (rebounds),” Lucas said of his senior forward. “That’s the standard I hold him to and what I think of him. I’m just happy we were able to finish the game after not being able to finish it last week.”
The action
Both teams traded blows early in the action, with the Cardinals jumping out to an early lead following a 10-0 spurt – familiar from last Saturday’s matchup. The back-and-forth first half saw 12 lead changes and a one-point Cardinal advantage at the break, 38-37.
But an inspired UM group emerged from the locker room with a haymaker of their own, stiff-arming the Cardinals and opening a game-high eight-point lead – which they held for much of the second half.
Reneau was the catalyst of the run, opening the final 20 minutes with seven straight points, and Dante Allen finished off the decisive 10-0 run with an emphatic and-one slam.
“I trust in myself a lot, and my teammates trust in me to get a basket at any moment,” Reneau said of the run.
Miami’s eight-point advantage held for much of the second half, but every opportunity to push the lead to double digits resulted in a missed shot or turnover, allowing the Cardinals to hang in the game. And Pat Kelsey’s group wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Louisville guard J’Vonne Hadley’s and-one with under seven minutes to play cut the Canes’ lead to three – a part of five-straight made baskets to trim the UM lead to just one point.
Trading buckets down the stretch, none was bigger than Reneau’s layup to push the UM lead back to three with one minute to play, followed by an immediate inbound steal by Washington.
“It was a huge steal coming down the stretch,” Reneau said of Washington’s late-game steal. “It gave us a comfortable lead to fall back on. Just about getting stops.”
But as the Miami crowd erupted following Washington’s steal, no one was louder than John Lucas II – Jai’s father – who was seated behind the Canes’ bench.
“It’s different to see him in a different role. I’ve always been the one following him and being with him in the gym, and now that he’s older, you get to see him love being around (our team),” Lucas said of his father, a 14-year NBA veteran and former head coach. “The coach and player in him comes out. His support and my family’s support really means a lot to me.”
Despite the divided crowd, the Spectrum Center was rocking, and the Canes will keep dancing tomorrow night.
What’s next
The Hurricanes’ 25th win of the season puts Lucas’ squad in Friday night’s semi-finals against the No. 2 seed, the Virginia Cavaliers, at 7 PM on ESPN.
Miami’s late-February trip to Charlottesville ended in heartbreak, with the Cavaliers sealing the game at the free-throw line in the final seconds, in an 86-83 loss.
After getting revenge against the Cardinals, Lucas’ group has a chance to continue the trend against Ryan Odom and the Cavaliers.
“It’s going to be a war,” Reneaut said of the rematch with Virginia. “We’ve got to be ready to play all 40 minutes.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM.