A hectic and speedy defense from the Manhattan Jaspers took the No. 4 seed Louisville Cardinals out of their game, but in the end, Steve Masiello's squad couldn't pull off the upset. The defending champions pulled away from the No. 13 seed in the final minute to win, 71-64, behind veterans Russ Smith and Luke Hancock.
NCAA Tournament 2014, Manhattan vs. Louisville: Luke Hancock helps Cardinals avoid upset
Luke Hancock helped the Louisville Cardinals avoid a bracket-busting upset in the final minutes.
Rick Pitino's team shot 36 percent against a team coached by his former pupil, but Louisville advanced and will now play Saint Louis in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.
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Manhattan took a 58-55 lead with 4:19 to play, but Smith drilled a three-point shot to tie it with 3:25 left. It was just the second field goal for Louisville in the previous nine minutes.
After the two teams traded baskets to make it a 60-60 tie, Hancock took over.
He hit two free throws, then hit a three-pointer to give the Cardinals a five-point lead. Ashton Pankey’s layup for Manhattan pulled the Jaspers within 65-62, but Hancock answered with another three-point shot on the wing to make it a two-possession game that couldn’t be overcome in the 27 seconds remaining.
Hancock scored 16 points while adding four assists and four steals, while Smith scored 18.
Pankey led Manhattan with 16 points.
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