For Stanford, March Madness turned into “March Maddening” rather quickly.
While eyeing a potential upset over No. 13 Louisville, Stanford played excellent defense on a game-winning 3-point attempt from Terrence Edwards Jr. in a 73-73 game, only to get the rebound and throw it away.
Stanford’s Chisom Okpara corralled the rebound and threw it to the wrong team as Chucky Hepburn is credited with a steal off the defensive rebound.
Okpara’s bad pass to Hepburn looked more like an assist as Hepburn caught the ball and, in one motion, rose for a game-winning jump shot.
The ill-timed turnover was the 10th, and most costly, of Stanford’s 75-73 loss.
Okpara’s Stanford teammates could only look on and throw their hands in the air after the mistake ended their season.
Stanford could still make the NIT Tournament, but the Cardinal are not headed to the traditional NCAA Tournament this year.
Louisville advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, where it will meet Clemson for a late showcase on Friday night.
Should the Cardinals get through their matchup against Clemson — a game in which they are 9.5-point underdogs — they would meet the winner of Duke-North Carolina in the final.
It wasn’t the only buzzer-beater so far during Conference Championship week, as Kentucky’s Otega Oweh also showed off his clutch skills in an SEC Tournament game against Oklahoma.
Oweh drove down right baseline before making his move to the basket and laying the ball in for the 85-84 victory on Thursday night.
With three days of games left before Selection Sunday, teams are pulling off improbable victories left and right.
