LOUISVILLE, Ky. — De’Andre Hunter’s only thought with 0.9 seconds remaining was how fast he would shoot the ball if he got it in his hands, though he wasn’t sure if his desperation heave from the left side of the 3-point circle had the distance or accuracy.
Fortunately for the Virginia freshman guard, his shot had the glass to bank it through as time expired, completing a rally from 13 points down and giving the top-ranked Cavaliers an improbable 67-66 victory Thursday night over stunned Louisville.
Next came the dog pile of delirious players celebrating in front of the Cardinals’ bench, with Hunter lost somewhere in the middle of it all.
“I just knew I had to get a shot off quick,” said Hunter, standing in a boot with his right knee wrapped in ice after turning it in practice this week. “The play wasn’t originally drawn up for me, but Ty (Jerome) told me to step back and if I had a look to shoot it. That’s what I did, and it’s my first game-winner ever.”
Hunter’s big moment symbolized a huge reversal in fortune for Hunter and Virginia (27-2, 16-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Hunter was called for charging with 38 seconds left, resulting in Ryan McMahon’s free throw a few seconds later that gave Louisville a 61-58 lead. McMahon added another free throw before Ray Spalding and Darius Perry each added two at the line to make it 66-62 with 5 seconds left.
Virginia didn’t wilt, answering with two free throws by Jerome with a tick left. A turnover by Mamadi Diakite put the ball in the hands of Louisville junior forward Deng Adel, who shuffled his feet while trying to inbound it on the baseline and was called for traveling.
“I kind of forgot I couldn’t move,” said Adel (18 points), who was consoled by Cardinal teammates after the buzzer. “Usually they allow me to run the baseline (and) will allow running the base line after a score. I just forgot I couldn’t take an extra step and I was just trying to get it to Darius.”
Hunter delivered with that final chance to help Virginia make ACC history as the first team to go 9-0 on the road in league play. That achievement eventually sank in once the Cavs digested their most improbable win this season in a charged, hostile atmosphere.
“I thought if we kept plugging, it was there,” said Virginia coach Tony Bennett, calling the milestone “a really good accomplishment.”
No. 10 CINCINNATI 78, TULANE 49
NEW ORLEANS — Kyle Washington had 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, and Cincinnati clinched a share of the American Athletic Conference title.
Cane Broome scored 13 for the Bearcats (26-4, 15-2), whose stifling defensive play helped them build leads as large as 19 in the first half and 33 in the second.
The Bearcats can clinch the title outright with a victory at No. 11 Wichita State on Sunday.
Melvin Frazier scored 13 points for Tulane (14-15, 5-12).
No. 11 WICHITA STATE 75, UCF 71, OT
ORLANDO, Fla. — Shaquille Morris scored 19 points and Conner Frankamp added 16 for Wichita State.
Landry Shamet scored 14 points and had six assists for the Shockers (24-5, 14-3 American Athletic Conference), who have won seven straight.
A.J. Davis led UCF (17-12, 8-9) with 31 points, including a desperation 3-pointer with .7 seconds left in regulation that sent the game into overtime. B.J. Taylor scored 23 for the Knights, who lost their third straight.
No. 15 MICHIGAN 77, IOWA 71, OT
NEW YORK — Duncan Robinson made Michigan’s only field goal in overtime, a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:15 left, and the Wolverines advanced to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
The fifth-seeded Wolverines (25-7) face fourth-seeded Nebraska on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Michigan was 3 for 19 from 3-point range and Robinson made all of them. His OT 3 put Michigan up 72-70, and the Wolverines made just enough free throws to hold off the Hawkeyes (14-19), who got a basket from Luka Garza on their first overtime possession and not another one.
Tyler Cook and Garza scored 13 points apiece for Iowa.
No. 19 ARIZONA 75, STANFORD 67
TUCSON, Ariz. — With coach Sean Miller back on the job and Allonzo Trier reinstated, Arizona clinched at least a share of the Pac-12 title.
Dusan Ristic scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half. Ristic, a senior, set a school record by participating in his 111th victory. Trier, reinstated by the NCAA after a two-game suspension, added 18 points for the Wildcats (23-7, 13-4 Pac-12) and Deandre Ayton, the freshman who leads the Pac-12 in scoring and rebounding, had 12 points and 10 boards.
Arizona has won or shared the conference regular season title five times since 2010-11 and beat Stanford for the 17th straight time. The Wildcats can clinch the title outright by beating California on Saturday night or if USC loses to UCLA.
Reid Travis scored 23 points for the Cardinal (16-14, 10-7).
No. 24 M. TENNESSEE 82, WESTERN KENTUCKY 64
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Brandon Walters scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Middle Tennessee clinched its second straight Conference USA title.
Nick King scored 18 points and had nine rebounds for the Blue Raiders (24-5, 16-1), who cracked the national rankings for the first time in school history last week.
Middle Tennessee shot 55 percent from the field, extending its winning streak to 11.
Lamonte Bearden led the Hilltoppers (22-8, 14-3) with 24 points. The loss ended Western Kentucky’s six-game winning streak.