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No. 3 Louisville beats No. 9 NC State 78-68 in ACC semis

It was a back and forth battle but the Cardinals survive and move on to a rematch against Notre Dame in the title game.
Credit: AP
North Carolina State's Kai Crutchfield (3) knocks a ball from Louisville's Arica Carter (11) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Atlantic Coast Conference women's tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday, March 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Asia Durr scored 22 points, and No. 3 Louisville advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game by beating No. 9 North Carolina State 78-68 on Saturday in a semifinal. 

Sam Fuehring had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Arica Carter had 16 points to help the second-seeded Cardinals (29-2, 14-2) win a back-and-forth game in which both teams led by double figures and earn a rematch with No. 4 Notre Dame (29-3, 14-2) in the title game.

Louisville beat the Fighting Irish 74-72 in last year's final, giving Notre Dame its only loss in six years at the ACC Tournament while claiming its first league title since the Cardinals won the Metro in 1993. The Irish won the only regular-season meeting 82-68 on Jan. 10.

Elissa Cunane scored 20 points, Kai Crutchfield had 17 points and DD Rogers finished with 13 for the third-seeded Wolfpack (26-5, 12-4). They shot 51 percent but had 17 turnovers that the Cardinals turned into 28 points.  

Durr scored eight points during a 15-4 run that gave them the lead for good, capping it with a jumper that made it 72-61 with 5½ minutes left. N.C. State chipped away, closing to 74-68 on Rogers' free throw with 56.2 seconds remaining, before Fuehring and Durr each hit two free throws to stretch the margin back to double figures.

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