No. 20 Louisville rallies past SMU in ACC road test

The Cardinals used a 10-0 second-half run to overcome an early double-digit deficit and defeat the Mustangs.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 4:47pm

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No. 20 Louisville overcame a slow start and a 47-44 halftime deficit to rally past SMU 88-74 on Saturday. The Cardinals used a 10-0 second-half run to take the lead and steadily pulled away for the victory. Mikel Brown Jr. scored 20 points off the bench to lead Louisville, while Boopie Miller had 20 points for the Mustangs.

Why it matters

This was an important ACC road test for Louisville, which was looking to bounce back from a blowout loss to Duke earlier in the week. The win keeps the Cardinals in the hunt in the competitive ACC standings. For SMU, the loss snaps a two-game winning streak and drops them to 4-4 in conference play.

The details

Louisville entered the game averaging 86 points per game and reached that mark behind 52% shooting in the second half. The Cardinals' bench provided a big boost, outscoring SMU 47-5. Brown regrouped from a tough game against Duke to make 7 of 14 shots with three 3-pointers. SMU jumped out to an early double-digit lead, but Louisville rallied and took the lead for good on a Kobe Rodgers layup with 14:37 remaining.

  • The game was played on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
  • Louisville trailed 47-44 at halftime.

The players

Mikel Brown Jr.

A Louisville player who scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Cardinals.

Boopie Miller

An SMU guard who had 20 points, continuing his streak of 28 consecutive double-digit scoring games.

Kobe Rodgers

A Louisville player who scored the go-ahead layup that put the Cardinals ahead for good in the second half.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

Louisville hosts Notre Dame on Wednesday, while SMU hosts North Carolina State on Tuesday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted Louisville's ability to rally from an early deficit and get a key ACC road win, while SMU's high-powered offense was slowed down by the Cardinals' defense in the second half.