Louisville Holds Off Wake Forest for 88-80 Road Win

Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey and forward Khani Rooths discuss the team's victory over the Demon Deacons.

Feb. 7, 2026 at 4:23pm

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The Louisville men's basketball team defeated Wake Forest 88-80 in a close conference matchup. The Cardinals led by double digits early in the second half, but the Demon Deacons fought back to tie the game late. However, Louisville's defense stepped up down the stretch, forcing Wake Forest to miss its final 11 shots to secure the victory. Six Louisville players scored in double figures, led by Sananda Fru's 17 points and six rebounds.

Why it matters

This was an important conference win for Louisville, which is looking to solidify its position in the standings. The Cardinals showed resilience in holding off a late Wake Forest comeback, highlighting their ability to make key defensive stops when needed.

The details

Louisville jumped out to a big lead early in the second half, but Wake Forest battled back to tie the game with under five minutes remaining. The Cardinals then clamped down on defense, forcing the Demon Deacons to miss their final 11 shots to preserve the victory. Six Louisville players scored in double figures, including Sananda Fru (17 points, 6 rebounds), J'Vonne Hadley (15 points), and Khani Rooths (13 points off the bench).

  • The game was played on February 7, 2026.

The players

Pat Kelsey

The head coach of the Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team.

Khani Rooths

A reserve forward for the Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team.

Sananda Fru

A Louisville player who led the team with 17 points and 6 rebounds.

J'Vonne Hadley

A Louisville player who scored 15 points in the game.

Mikel Brown

A Louisville player who had 12 points and 8 assists.

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What they’re saying

“Winning on the road in conference is always hard. I got a ton of respect for (Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes). We've been the business together for a long, long time. They're dealing with serious injury problems right now, and they're competing and gave us all we could handle tonight.”

— Pat Kelsey, Head Coach (si.com)

“Feel good about how the game ended the last four minutes in terms of our defense and rebounding. I give Wake a lot of credit for their tenacity on the glass in the second half. Hurt us there in that area, but our guys had the wherewithal to flip the switch and get stops and rebounds down the stretch. I felt like it was a phenomenal team win.”

— Pat Kelsey, Head Coach (si.com)

What’s next

Louisville will look to build on this conference road win as they continue their push for a strong finish to the season. Their next game is scheduled for February 10th against a tough opponent.

The takeaway

This victory showcases Louisville's resilience and ability to make key defensive stops when needed, even when facing a late comeback attempt by their opponent. The balanced scoring effort and strong team performance are positive signs for the Cardinals as they aim to solidify their position in the conference standings.