No. 24 Louisville Defeats Baylor Behind Brown Jr.'s 29 Points

Freshman guard leads Cardinals to 82-71 victory in non-conference showdown

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Mikel Brown Jr. scored 29 points to lead No. 24 Louisville past Baylor 82-71 on Saturday in a non-conference matchup in Fort Worth, Texas. The freshman guard followed up his 45-point performance earlier in the week with another strong outing, making 8 of 14 shots and hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. J'Vonne Hadley added 20 points for the Cardinals, who shot 56% from the field as a team. Baylor led by as many as seven in the first half but couldn't maintain the advantage, going scoreless over the final 3:37 of the opening period. Louisville used a 10-2 run early in the second half to take control of the game.

Why it matters

This win helps solidify Louisville's position in the Top 25 rankings, as they improve to 19-6 on the season. For Baylor, the loss drops them to 14-11 overall and raises concerns about their NCAA Tournament hopes, as they struggled mightily from 3-point range, making just 2 of 22 attempts.

The details

Mikel Brown Jr. followed up his 45-point performance earlier in the week with another dominant outing, scoring 29 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. He also dished out 6 assists and recorded a season-high 5 steals. J'Vonne Hadley added 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Cardinals. Baylor led 32-25 late in the first half, but went scoreless over the final 3:37 of the period, allowing Louisville to tie it at 34-34 going into halftime. The Cardinals then used a 10-2 run early in the second half to take control of the game, growing their lead to as many as 15 points. Baylor shot just 36.7% for the game and made only 2 of 22 3-point attempts.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 15, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The players

Mikel Brown Jr.

A freshman guard for the Louisville Cardinals who scored 29 points in the win over Baylor.

J'Vonne Hadley

A sixth-year swingman for the Louisville Cardinals who scored a season-high 20 points in the victory.

Isaac Williams

The leading scorer for the Baylor Bears, finishing with 20 points in the loss.

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The takeaway

This game showcased the continued emergence of Louisville freshman Mikel Brown Jr. as a star player, as he led the Cardinals to an important non-conference victory over a tough Baylor team. However, the loss raises concerns about Baylor's NCAA Tournament hopes, as they struggled mightily from 3-point range in the defeat.