Abmas hits game-winner as No. 19 Texas outlasts Louisville 81-80 in Empire Classic
NEW YORK (AP) Max Abmas hit a fallaway jumper at the buzzer as No. 19 Texas outlasted a stiff challenge from Louisville to earn an 81-80 victory Sunday in the Empire Classic.
In a game with 21 lead changes and 14 ties, Abmas gave the Longhorns (4-0) the dramatic win off a successful inbounds play.
“It felt like an NCAA tournament game,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said.
Chandel Weaver inbounded to Brock Cunningham, who quickly got the ball back to Weaver. After Weaver passed to Abmas at the top of the key. Abmas moved to his right, made three dribbles and released a shot over Skyy Clark that cleanly went in.
“We just kind of had a play where I started on the block, came up to get the ball and then it was kind of spread out,” Abmas said. “I was able to get my spot, a couple of dribbles and knock down the game-winner.”
After making the shot, Abmas was mobbed by his teammates.
Before Abmas hit his dramatic shot, Louisville held an 80-78 lead on a 3-pointer by Clark with 81 seconds left that slightly bounced up and in. After Texas was called for a shot clock violation with 36 seconds left, Louisville also got called for a shot clock violation with seven seconds left to allow the Longhorns to win it.
“We were fortunate to have the ball at the very end and Max made a big time play, a big time shot to close the game out,” Terry said.
Kadin Shedrick scored a career-high 27 points for Texas. Abmas added 14 as the Longhorns shot 46.3%. Abmas, who led 15th-seeded Oral Roberts to a first-round victory over Ohio State in the 2021 NCAA tournament, made 6 of 19 shots.
“That was a great shot and I played some really good defense but that’s Max,” Clark said.
Clark and Tre White scored 20 apiece for the Cardinals (2-2), who were unable to finish off their first win against a ranked team since beating Virginia Tech on Jan. 6, 2021.
Texas constantly got to the rim and shot 57.6% in the opening 20 minutes for a 41-38 lead. The Longhorns’ last seven shots were layups or dunks and they ended the half on a layup by Abmas following an errant pass by Ty-Laur Johnson.
Texas missed its first five shots of the second half and trailed 48-44 after Clark converted a 3-point play with 16:53 left. The Cardinals took a 52-50 lead on White’s reverse layup with 13:16 left and Texas held a 59-54 lead on a drive by Abmas with 9:36 to go.
BIG PICTURE
Texas: Shedrick constantly had his way inside with six dunks and several easy baskets as he surpassed his previous career high of 20 set with Virginia in 2022 against Louisville. Shedrick, who has undergone two shoulder surgeries, made 11 of 15 shots and grabbed seven rebounds. “It’s just a coincidence I think,” Shedrick said of his big games against Louisville. “I’d like to keep doing that against other teams too.” Making the biggest game of his career even more impressive is that Shedrick did not practice Saturday and it was uncertain that he would play. “Each time he hits the floor, I’m praying that he’s ok,” Terry said.
Louisville: The Cardinals brought constant energy as their bench was often engaged and hanging on every play.
UP NEXT:
Texas: Faces No. 5 UConn in Monday’s title game.
Louisville: Faces Indiana in Monday’s consolation game.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
19:59 | (Cardinals gains possession) | |||
19:43 | +2 | Mike James makes two point driving layup | 0-2 | |
19:27 | Max Abmas misses three point jump shot | |||
19:25 | Skyy Clark defensive rebound | |||
19:01 | Skyy Clark turnover (bad pass) (Kadin Shedrick steals) | |||
18:48 | Dillon Mitchell misses two point jump shot | |||
18:46 | Tre White defensive rebound | |||
18:39 | Tre White misses two point driving layup | |||
18:39 | Longhorns defensive rebound | |||
18:39 | Tre White personal foul | |||
18:18 | Dillon Mitchell turnover (lost ball) (Brandon Huntley-Hatfield steals) | |||
18:06 | Skyy Clark misses two point driving layup | |||
18:04 | Longhorns defensive rebound | |||
17:49 | +2 | Kadin Shedrick makes two point hook shot | 2-2 | |
17:31 | Mike James misses two point driving layup | |||
17:29 | Longhorns defensive rebound | |||
17:13 | +2 | Kadin Shedrick makes two point layup | 4-2 | |
17:00 | +3 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes three point jump shot (Skyy Clark assists) | 4-5 | |
16:40 | +2 | Tyrese Hunter makes two point pullup jump shot (Brock Cunningham assists) | 6-5 | |
16:21 | Kadin Shedrick blocks Tre White's two point driving layup | |||
16:19 | Brock Cunningham defensive rebound | |||
16:13 | +3 | Max Abmas makes three point jump shot (Ithiel Horton assists) | 9-5 | |
15:47 | TV timeout | |||
15:39 | Cardinals turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
15:29 | +2 | Ze'Rik Onyema makes two point alley-oop dunk (Tyrese Hunter assists) | 11-5 | |
15:00 | Ze'Rik Onyema shooting foul (Brandon Huntley-Hatfield draws the foul) | |||
15:00 | +1 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 11-6 | |
15:00 | +1 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-7 | |
14:48 | Tyrese Hunter misses three point jump shot | |||
14:46 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield defensive rebound | |||
14:21 | Tre White misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
14:19 | Ze'Rik Onyema defensive rebound | |||
14:18 | Ty-Laur Johnson personal foul | |||
13:56 | +3 | Max Abmas makes three point jump shot (Brock Cunningham assists) | 14-7 | |
13:40 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield personal foul | |||
13:30 | Dennis Evans personal foul | |||
13:30 | Dennis Evans personal foul | |||
13:23 | +2 | Ithiel Horton makes two point pullup jump shot | 16-7 | |
12:57 | +3 | JJ Traynor makes three point jump shot (Ty-Laur Johnson assists) | 16-10 | |
12:38 | Max Abmas misses three point jump shot | |||
12:36 | Curtis Williams defensive rebound | |||
12:22 | +2 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes two point driving layup (Ty-Laur Johnson assists) | 16-12 | |
12:07 | Dillon Mitchell misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
12:05 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield defensive rebound | |||
11:59 | Ithiel Horton shooting foul (Ty-Laur Johnson draws the foul) | |||
11:59 | TV timeout | |||
11:59 | +1 | Ty-Laur Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 16-13 | |
11:59 | +1 | Ty-Laur Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-14 | |
11:42 | +2 | Brock Cunningham makes two point jump shot (Ithiel Horton assists) | 18-14 | |
11:20 | Curtis Williams misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
11:18 | Kadin Shedrick defensive rebound | |||
11:08 | +2 | Tyrese Hunter makes two point driving layup | 20-14 | |
10:47 | +3 | Skyy Clark makes three point pullup jump shot | 20-17 | |
10:24 | +2 | Tyrese Hunter makes two point driving finger roll layup | 22-17 | |
10:05 | +2 | Ty-Laur Johnson makes two point driving layup | 22-19 | |
9:54 | Tyrese Hunter turnover (bad pass) (Curtis Williams steals) | |||
9:49 | +2 | Skyy Clark makes two point driving reverse layup (Curtis Williams assists) | 22-21 | |
9:49 | Tyrese Hunter shooting foul (Skyy Clark draws the foul) | |||
9:49 | Skyy Clark misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
9:49 | Kadin Shedrick defensive rebound | |||
9:43 | Dillon Mitchell misses two point driving layup | |||
9:40 | Brock Cunningham offensive rebound | |||
9:40 | Jump ball. Brock Cunningham vs. JJ Traynor (Longhorns gains possession) | |||
9:31 | Tyrese Hunter misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
9:29 | Skyy Clark defensive rebound | |||
9:18 | JJ Traynor misses two point jump shot | |||
9:16 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield offensive rebound | |||
9:12 | Curtis Williams misses three point jump shot | |||
9:10 | Kadin Shedrick defensive rebound | |||
9:02 | +2 | Kadin Shedrick makes two point alley-oop dunk (Max Abmas assists) | 24-21 | |
8:51 | JJ Traynor misses three point jump shot | |||
8:49 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield offensive rebound | |||
8:49 | Dillon Mitchell personal foul | |||
8:49 | Brock Cunningham personal foul (Skyy Clark draws the foul) | |||
8:43 | +2 | Tre White makes two point layup | 24-23 | |
8:14 | +2 | Dillon Mitchell makes two point turnaround jump shot (Tyrese Hunter assists) | 26-23 | |
7:57 | Tyrese Hunter shooting foul (Tre White draws the foul) | |||
7:57 | TV timeout | |||
7:57 | +1 | Tre White makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 26-24 | |
7:57 | +1 | Tre White makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-25 | |
7:37 | +2 | Ithiel Horton makes two point cutting layup (Kadin Shedrick assists) | 28-25 | |
7:16 | Skyy Clark misses three point jump shot | |||
7:14 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield offensive rebound | |||
7:03 | +2 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes two point jump shot (Skyy Clark assists) | 28-27 | |
6:48 | JJ Traynor personal foul | |||
6:31 | Kadin Shedrick misses three point jump shot | |||
6:29 | JJ Traynor defensive rebound | |||
6:10 | Dillon Mitchell shooting foul (JJ Traynor draws the foul) | |||
6:10 | +1 | JJ Traynor makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 28-28 | |
6:10 | +1 | JJ Traynor makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-29 | |
5:53 | Max Abmas misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
5:51 | Chendall Weaver offensive rebound | |||
5:44 | Max Abmas misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
5:42 | JJ Traynor defensive rebound | |||
5:33 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield misses two point bank hook shot | |||
5:31 | Dillon Mitchell defensive rebound | |||
5:15 | +2 | Kadin Shedrick makes two point layup | 30-29 | |
4:49 | +2 | Tre White makes two point turnaround jump shot | 30-31 | |
4:25 | +2 | Ithiel Horton makes two point jump shot | 32-31 | |
4:03 | Skyy Clark turnover (bad pass) (Dillon Mitchell steals) | |||
4:00 | +2 | Dillon Mitchell makes two point driving dunk | 34-31 | |
3:39 | Chendall Weaver blocks Mike James's two point driving layup | |||
3:39 | Cardinals offensive rebound | |||
3:39 | TV timeout | |||
3:29 | Mike James misses two point layup | |||
3:27 | JJ Traynor offensive rebound | |||
3:25 | +2 | JJ Traynor makes two point putback layup | 34-33 | |
3:11 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield personal foul (Ze'Rik Onyema draws the foul) | |||
3:11 | +1 | Ze'Rik Onyema makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 35-33 | |
3:11 | Ze'Rik Onyema misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
3:11 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield defensive rebound | |||
2:57 | Skyy Clark misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
2:55 | Brock Cunningham defensive rebound | |||
2:43 | Ze'Rik Onyema misses two point turnaround hook shot | |||
2:41 | Tre White defensive rebound | |||
2:21 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield misses two point jump shot | |||
2:19 | Ithiel Horton defensive rebound | |||
2:15 | Max Abmas misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
2:14 | Skyy Clark defensive rebound | |||
2:11 | Ithiel Horton shooting foul (Ty-Laur Johnson draws the foul) | |||
2:11 | +1 | Ty-Laur Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 35-34 | |
2:11 | +1 | Ty-Laur Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 35-35 | |
1:48 | Dennis Evans blocks Chendall Weaver's two point driving dunk | |||
1:46 | Skyy Clark defensive rebound | |||
1:41 | Chendall Weaver blocks Skyy Clark's two point driving layup | |||
1:39 | Cardinals offensive rebound | |||
1:38 | Mike James turnover (bad pass) (Kadin Shedrick steals) | |||
1:35 | +2 | Kadin Shedrick makes two point driving dunk | 37-35 | |
1:15 | Tre White turnover (lost ball) (Brock Cunningham steals) | |||
1:11 | +2 | Max Abmas makes two point driving layup | 39-35 | |
1:11 | Cardinals 30 second timeout | |||
0:48 | +3 | Skyy Clark makes three point jump shot (Ty-Laur Johnson assists) | 39-38 | |
0:33 | Max Abmas misses three point jump shot | |||
0:31 | Tre White defensive rebound | |||
0:25 | Ty-Laur Johnson turnover (bad pass) (Kadin Shedrick steals) | |||
0:16 | Longhorns 30 second timeout | |||
0:03 | +2 | Max Abmas makes two point driving finger roll layup (Chendall Weaver assists) | 41-38 | |
0:00 | End of period |