Louisville Rallies in Second Half to Power Past SMU, 88-74
Louisville shook off a slow start and delivered a statement second half on Saturday afternoon, pulling away from SMU for an 88-74 win at the KFC Yum! Center. With the victory, the Cardinals improved to 15-6 on the season and 5-4 in ACC play, continuing to build momentum as the calendar flips into February.
This one didn’t start the way Louisville would’ve drawn it up. The Mustangs came out swinging, jumping out to a 12-point lead early in the first half and forcing the Cardinals to dig in.
But dig in they did. Louisville gradually tightened things up on both ends of the floor, trimming the deficit to just three by halftime.
From there, it was all Cards.
Head coach Pat Kelsey praised the team’s resilience and defensive turnaround, noting, “I thought our defense in the last 10 minutes [of the first half] and the second half was, I don't know, maybe the best all season.” That wasn’t just coach speak. Louisville’s defensive intensity went up a notch, and it showed in the way they disrupted SMU’s rhythm and turned stops into scoring opportunities.
Offensively, Louisville found its groove behind a balanced attack. Mikel Brown Jr. led the way with 20 points, showcasing the kind of shot-making and poise that’s become his signature.
Freshman forward Khani Rooths made his presence felt on both ends, recording a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Rooths’ energy on the glass and ability to finish around the rim gave Louisville a needed interior presence.
In total, five Cardinals finished in double figures, a testament to the team’s depth and unselfish ball movement. The offense flowed with purpose, and aside from a few turnovers, Louisville executed with confidence and control.
The crowd of 14,847 inside the KFC Yum! Center certainly played its part, feeding off the second-half surge as the Cardinals turned a tight contest into a comfortable win. The energy in the building matched the team’s intensity on the court, and it was clear this group fed off that home-court advantage.
SMU, for its part, couldn’t keep pace after halftime. Head coach Andy Enfield’s squad came in with a solid game plan and executed well early, but struggled to match Louisville’s defensive pressure and offensive rhythm down the stretch.
This win marks another step forward for a Louisville team that’s starting to find its identity. With ACC play heating up and every game carrying weight for tournament positioning, Saturday’s performance was the kind that builds confidence-and maybe raises a few eyebrows around the league.
Louisville’s next challenge will be maintaining this level of focus and execution as the schedule toughens. But if Saturday’s second half is any indication, this team is starting to click at just the right time.