On Tuesday, the Louisville men’s basketball team’s season ended with an 80-62 defeat to Boston College in the first round of the 2023 New York Life ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Louisville (4-28) was plagued by rebounding problems, allowing the Eagles to snatch 14 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points, with 11 offensive boards and 13 second-chance points coming in the second half alone. Boston College (16-16) overcame Louisville’s three-point halftime lead to advance to the tournament’s second round.
Louisville head coach Kenny Payne acknowledged that the Eagles’ energy, physicality, toughness, and offensive rebounding were instrumental in their victory. An 8-0 run by Boston College gave the Eagles a 25-15 advantage at the 5:56 mark of the first half. However, Louisville responded with a 10-0 run, including seven made free throws, to level the score at 25-all with 3:24 to play.
Senior guard El Ellis, a recent All ACC Honorable Mention, provided a three-point play to put the Cardinals ahead 32-31, and sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield added a putback with five seconds remaining to extend Louisville’s lead to 34-31 at halftime. Huntley-Hatfield scored 11 points in the first half, including Louisville’s first six of the game. The Cardinals made 12 of 15 free throws in the opening 20 minutes.
Despite a dunk from junior forward JJ Traynor that put Louisville up 45-43 with 15:55 remaining, the Eagles responded with a 12-3 run to take a 55-48 lead. Boston College secured multiple baskets off offensive rebounds from there to maintain their lead. Boston College outrebounded Louisville 40-29, with Makai Ashton-Langford leading the Eagles with 16 points and five rebounds. Ellis topped Louisville’s scorers with 16 points and five assists, while Huntley-Hatfield contributed 13 points, and Traynor finished with 12 points and seven boards.
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