Louisville pulled away in the second half and never looked back, knocking off Virginia Tech 85–71 behind a balanced offensive effort and control of the glass. The Cardinals shot 47-percent from the floor and built their advantage with extra possessions, finishing with a 44–31 rebounding edge and 15 offensive boards that consistently blunted Tech’s momentum. Louisville’s largest lead ballooned to 20 early in the second half, setting the tone for a comfortable finish.
Mikel Brown Jr. led the way with 20 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting, adding six assists to keep the offense humming. J’Vonne Hadley chipped in 14 points, including a late three that capped Louisville’s final scoring run, while Ryan Conwell added 15 despite a higher volume shooting night. Sananda Fru was a force inside, posting 13 points and a game high 10 rebounds, anchoring Louisville on both ends as the Cardinals won the rebounding battle by a wide margin.
Virginia Tech leaned heavily on its backcourt shooting to stay within striking distance. Jaile Bedford poured in 24 points, knocking down 6-of-8 from deep. Ben Hammond added 18 points with five assists as the Hokies shot a scorching 53-percent from three-point range. But those perimeter makes were offset by struggles inside, where Tech was outmuscled on the boards and limited to just five free throws on the night.
The Cardinals closed the game with poise, hitting six of their final seven shots and answering every Tech push down the stretch. Hadley’s three at the 42-second mark effectively sealed it, pushing the lead to 85–69 and allowing Louisville to cruise to the final horn. With scoring coming from multiple spots and a dominant effort on the glass, Louisville put together one of its more complete performances in the 85–71 win.
Louisville is set to return to the court on Monday when they head to Cameron Indoor to take on the 5th-ranked Duke Blue Devils.
