Walker Scores 25 As Miami Beats Louisville In OT, 78-75
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CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami/AP) — The Miami Hurricanes got a much-needed conference win in front of their home fans.
Lonnie Walker IV scored 25 points, including an acrobatic layup to force overtime, and the Hurricanes edged Louisville 78-75 in overtime Wednesday night.
Dewan Huell's dunk on a follow put the Hurricanes ahead to stay in the extra period, 73-71. Louisville coach David Padgett argued in vain that Huell should have been called for goaltending.
The Hurricanes missed 5 of 10 free throws in the final 22 seconds but hung on. Walker blocked a 3-point try by Ryan McMahon, and a 30-footer by the Cardinals' Deng Adel at the final buzzer barely hit the rim.
Miami (15-4, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped Louisville's four-game win streak. The Cardinals (15-5, 5-2) fell to third place in the conference standings behind No. 2 Virginia and No. 4 Duke.
Louisville shot 0 for 5 in overtime and finished at 42 percent. Miami won despite shooting 37 percent.
Walker's layup with five seconds left sent the game into overtime. The Hurricanes missed their first six shots in the extra period before Walker fed Bruce Brown Jr. for a fast-break dunk and a tie at 71.
Brown otherwise had a rough night offensively, going 2 for 10 and missing all four 3-point tries. Huell had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Quentin Snider led Louisville with 18 points. Anas Mahmoud had 15 points and four blocks off the bench. Junior Ray Spalding scored nine points, grabbed 13 rebounds and tied a career high with five blocks.
LATE HEROICS
There were 14 lead changes. Miami overcame a seven-point deficit early in the second half and went ahead 65-62. Louisville regained the lead and was up 69-67 when Mahmoud made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left in regulation.
Walker then outmaneuvered Mahmoud and Spalding with a one-handed layup to tie the game. Adel's off-balance 30-footer at the buzzer bounced off the rim, sending the game into overtime.
Adel shot 4 for 16 and finished with 13 points.
OFF THE BENCH
Miami 6-10 freshman Sam Waardenburg joined the rotation to help combat the Cardinals' size, and he contributed seven rebounds and a block in 13 minutes.
BIG PICTURE
The loss will likely keep the Cardinals out of the rankings next week.
The Hurricanes, playing as an unranked team for the first time this season, needed a win for a shot at climbing back into the Top 25 next week. They improved to 7-1 at home.
UP NEXT
Miami plays Saturday at Florida State. The Hurricanes won 80-74 when the teams met Jan. 7.
Louisville plays four of its next five games at home, including Saturday against Wake Forest.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)