Louisville Cardinals Overcome Halftime Deficit to Defeat SMU
In an exciting matchup in Louisville, Kentucky, the No. 20 Cardinals showcased their resilience by overcoming a halftime deficit to defeat SMU 88-74 on Saturday. Mikel Brown Jr. emerged as a key player off the bench, contributing 20 points, while Isaac McKneely added 14 points to help propel the Cardinals to victory.
Second Half Comeback
Entering the second half trailing 47-44, Louisville orchestrated a decisive 10-0 run, which allowed them to take the lead for the first time at 55-53, courtesy of Kobe Rodgers’ fast-break layup. Yet, SMU momentarily regained the advantage at 62-61. However, the Cardinals responded vigorously; Aly Khalifa, who scored eight points, netted five crucial points during a significant scoring surge that helped Louisville extend its lead.
Despite suffering a heavy loss to No. 4 Duke earlier in the week, the Cardinals (15-6, 5-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) bounced back, shooting 49% overall and a striking 52% in the second half. Their bench was particularly instrumental, outscoring the Mustangs’ reserves 47-5 and limiting SMU to just 37% shooting in the latter half.
Player Performances
Mikel Brown Jr. rebounded from a poor performance against Duke, where he shot only 1-of-13, to hit 7-of-14 from the field, including three 3-pointers, along with three rebounds and four assists. McKneely complemented his effort by converting five of ten attempts, with four shots from beyond the arc. Additional contributions came from Khani Rooths and Ryan Conwell, who each added 12 points, while J’Vonne Hadley chipped in with ten.
SMU’s Performance
On the other side of the court, SMU’s Boopie Miller, who ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring, maintained his form with 20 points, marking his 28th consecutive game with double digits. The Mustangs (15-6, 4-4 in conference play) came into this contest with the highest points per game average in the league (87.3) and were riding a two-game winning streak prior to this encounter. They started the game strong, hitting 4 of their first 5 three-point attempts and building a 14-4 lead, as they shot 59% from the field in the first half.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, SMU will be back in action on Tuesday as they host North Carolina State, while Louisville will prepare to take on Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Stay updated on the AP Top 25 by signing up for alerts on the latest college basketball rankings.
