Clemson Locked Out of Locker Room in ACC Semifinal, Falls Narrowly to Louisville
Sarah Johnson
March 15, 2025
Brief
Clemson Tigers suffered a narrow ACC semifinal loss to Louisville after being locked out of their locker room at halftime, disrupting their game and sparking controversy.
Clemson Tigers came agonizingly close to advancing to the ACC title game on Friday night, but their loss to Louisville wasn’t the only thing leaving fans scratching their heads. During halftime, the Tigers found themselves locked out of their own locker room at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
Trailing 33-28 at the half, Clemson headed to regroup but discovered their locker room door mysteriously locked. The team’s head coach, Brad Brownell, was forced to deliver his halftime pep talk in the hallway. Brownell admitted, “It’s disappointing, obviously," adding that such an incident was unheard of "at this level." Talk about a logistical fumble.
According to an ACC spokesperson, the door locks from the inside, and how it ended up locked remains a mystery. Security guards are stationed outside every locker room for conference games, and there had been no prior incidents like this. The conference added two minutes to the halftime break to compensate, but it was clear the Tigers were rattled when they returned to the court.
Louisville capitalized on Clemson’s disarray, pulling ahead by as much as 15 points early in the second half. The Tigers rallied fiercely, cutting the lead to just two points in the closing moments, but a blocked drive by James Scott and a missed three-point buzzer-beater by Chase Hunter sealed their fate. The final score: 80-77 in favor of Louisville.
Terrence Edwards led the Cardinals with 21 points, while J’Vonne Hadley added 20 points and nine rebounds. Louisville now moves on to face top-ranked Duke in the ACC final, where they’ll chase their first conference title. Duke, for their part, edged out UNC in their semifinal matchup, proving that March Madness doesn’t hold back on the drama.
Clemson’s locker room fiasco may not have been the sole reason for their loss, but it certainly added an unnecessary hurdle. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you can’t win a game if you’re battling locked doors and opponents at the same time.
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Editor's Comments
This story feels like something out of a sitcom. A locked locker room during the ACC semis? Whoever’s responsible for that door might want to double-check their job description. But seriously, it’s wild how a small thing like this can totally derail a team’s momentum. Here’s hoping Clemson’s next game comes with fully functioning locks.
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