Angel McCoughtry led 7-seed Louisville (23-8) to a 57-56 upset over second-seed Rutgers Sunday night in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament in Hartford, CT.
McCoughtry scored 20 points for the Cardinals and handed out the key assist to Candyce Bingham for the decisive basket with 33 seconds remaining in the game.
Rutgers, the No. 5-ranked team in the nation and the national runner-up in 2007, had two chances to win the game after Bingham’s layup. But Chauntise Wright rebounded Essence Carson’s mis-fired jump shot with 8.1 seconds remaining. Rutgers then got the ball back after a Louisville turnover with 4.4 seconds. Ephinany Prince drove the length of the court but her last second shot was blocked by McCoughtry.
It was a back and forth contest between the Cards and Scarlet Knights. The game featured 29 lead changes and see-sawed back and forth in the game’s final moments. Neither team led by more than five points during throughout the game.
Louisville, which downed St. John’s 62-47 in the Big East first round, advance to the Big East Tournament semifinals for the second time in the past three years. The Cardinals will face the winner of the USF-West Virginia game in the semifinals.