NC State Wolfpack at Louisville Cardinals

No. 3 Louisville beats No. 9 NC State 78-68 in ACC semis

Durr scored 22 points, and Louisville advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament final by beating No. 9 North Carolina State 78-68 on Saturday in a semifinal.

Fuehring had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Arica Carter had 16 points to help the second-seeded Cardinals (29-2, 14-2) win a back-and-forth game in which both teams led by double figures. Durr and Fuehring combined to score Louisville's final 12 points over the final 7 1/2 minutes.

"We were just trying to find a way to score," Durr said. "Score, then get a stop."

They earned a rematch with No. 4 Notre Dame (29-3, 14-2) in the title game. Louisville beat the Fighting Irish 74-72 in last year's final, giving Notre Dame its only loss in six years at the ACC Tournament while claiming its first league title since the Cardinals won the Metro in 1993. The Irish won the only regular-season meeting 82-68 on Jan. 10.

"They're really fun to watch when you don't have to play them," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said.

Elissa Cunane scored 20 points, Kai Crutchfield had 17 points and DD Rogers finished with 13 for the third-seeded Wolfpack (26-5, 12-4). They shot 51 percent but had 17 turnovers that the Cardinals turned into 28 points.

Durr scored eight points during a 15-4 run that gave them the lead for good, capping it with a jumper that made it 72-61 with 5 1/2 minutes left. N.C. State chipped away, closing to 74-68 on Rogers' free throw with 56.2 seconds remaining, before Fuehring and Durr each hit two free throws to stretch the margin back to double figures.

BIG PICTURE

"We can rotate and manage with one starter out ... but when we have three, it's tough," coach Wes Moore said. "We just don't have the depth to handle that."

TIGHTENED UP

Louisville's two tournament wins have come by a combined 18 points over Clemson and N.C. State. The Cardinals previously beat both of those teams by at least 30 points. Walz said Louisville's 92-62 romp over the Wolfpack on Feb. 28 "was not going to repeat itself."

FUN WITH NUMBERS

UP NEXT

N.C. State: Will spend a couple of weeks waiting for Selection Monday.

Louisville: Faces Notre Dame on Sunday in the title game for the second straight year.

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How can I watch Wolfpack vs. Cardinals?

• TV Channel: Wolfpack vs Cardinals 2021 College Basketball, week 18, is broadcasted on ESPNU.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Venue: First Horizon Coliseum

Location: Greensboro, NC
Attendance: 6,943 | Capacity: