Louisville came up just short Thursday night, falling 80–76 to Stanford in a tightly contested game that swung on late free throws and perimeter efficiency.
The Cardinals had a chance in the final seconds after Sananda Fru’s jumper at the buzzer cut the deficit to two, but Stanford’s Jaiden Dent-Smith iced the game at the line following a foul, sealing the Cardinal win. Louisville battled all night inside, shooting 43-percent from the floor and dominating the glass with a 39–31 rebounding edge, including 18 offensive boards.
Sananda Fru was flawless offensively, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds, while J’Vonne Hadley added 14 points and seven boards. Isaiah McKneely led the way with 17 points, knocking down three triples and converting all four of his free throw attempts, but Louisville struggled to find consistency from deep, hitting just 6-of-27 from three-point range.
Stanford countered with efficient shooting and timely shot making, particularly from beyond the arc. The Cardinal shot 47-percent from three (9-of-19), a difference maker in a game that featured 12 lead changes. Ebuaka Okorie was the standout, pouring in 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting while also pacing Stanford in assists. Chisom Okpara chipped in 17 points and eight rebounds, and Rohan Agarwal provided a spark off the perimeter, drilling all four of his three point attempts.
The turning point came late as Stanford leaned on the free throw line, attempting 31 shots and converting 21 of them. Louisville last held the lead at 52–51 midway through the second half, but Stanford’s composure down the stretch combined with Louisville’s cold shooting from deep proved decisive.
Despite the narrow loss, the Cardinals’ effort on the glass and interior scoring kept them in striking distance until the final horn, underscoring just how thin the margin was in a hard fought road defeat.
Louisville comes back to face Duke on Tuesday at 7 pm inside the Yum Center.
