Louisville’s Bounce-Back Win Over SMU Fueled by Bench Spark from Brown and Rooths
After a rough outing against Duke that left Louisville reeling, Saturday’s ACC matchup with SMU had all the makings of a turning point - one way or the other. And while the Cardinals didn’t exactly come out of the gates firing, what followed was a gritty, gutsy response that showed what this team can be when its young talent gets rolling.
The headline? Louisville’s 88-74 win was powered by two players who didn’t even start the game.
Freshman Mikel Brown and sophomore Khani Rooths - both of whom have been dealing with setbacks lately - came off the bench and completely changed the tone of the afternoon. Rooths, back after missing four games due to illness, brought a jolt of energy that had been sorely missing.
His emphatic put-back dunk in the first half wasn’t just a highlight; it was a wake-up call for the team and the crowd inside the KFC Yum! Center.
Brown, meanwhile, had a bit of a rollercoaster start. Five turnovers in the first nine minutes could’ve easily derailed his day.
But instead of folding, he settled in and reminded everyone why this team is so high on him. The freshman guard finished with 20 points and a handful of calming, veteran-like plays that helped stabilize the Cards when things got shaky.
“I’m not used to the weather,” Brown said postgame, half-joking. “In Florida, it’s warm right now. I’m hurting.”
Louisville looked sluggish early, still feeling the sting from that 31-point loss to Duke. SMU came out hot, shooting 55 percent in the first half and jumping out to a 12-point lead.
For a moment, it felt like the Cards were headed for another long afternoon. But they clawed back, trimmed the deficit to three by halftime, and came out of the locker room with a different level of intensity.
The second-half defense was where the shift really happened. SMU, which had been scoring at will early, hit just 37 percent of its shots after the break and managed only three made threes. Louisville tightened the screws, and SMU never found its rhythm again.
On the other end, Louisville’s offense found its groove - and then some. Three straight threes midway through the second half - one from Brown, two from Isaac McKneely from nearly identical spots on the wing - pushed the lead to 15 with just over four minutes left.
That stretch was the dagger. Game over.
The bench was a massive difference-maker. Louisville’s reserves outscored SMU’s 47-5, thanks in large part to Brown and Rooths. Rooths finished with a double-double - 12 points and 10 boards - and brought the kind of physical presence and hustle that doesn’t always show up in the box score but absolutely impacts the game.
Louisville also won the battle in the paint, 42-32, flipped an early turnover issue into an 18-13 edge in points off giveaways, and even out-rebounded the bigger SMU squad 35-34. That last number might not jump off the page, but it speaks to the effort - especially considering how flat the Cards looked early.
McKneely added 14 points, Ryan Conwell chipped in 12, and J’Vonne Hadley gave them 10. Vangelis Zougris made his presence felt defensively, and Aly Khalifa knocked down a pair of threes to remind everyone he’s still a threat from deep.
At halftime, Louisville honored its 1986 national championship team - a squad that started 15-7 before catching fire and running the table. That’s the kind of story that can light a spark. And while no one’s getting ahead of themselves, this win moved the current Cards to 15-6 overall and 5-4 in ACC play - a solid spot to be in as February heats up.
Next up: Notre Dame comes to town on Wednesday. If Brown and Rooths keep trending up, and if this bench continues to deliver like it did against SMU, Louisville could be a team nobody wants to see down the stretch.