Louisville vs. SMU Game Recap - Jan. 31, 2026

The SMU Mustangs visited the 20th-ranked Louisville Cardinals in a matchup between two ACC teams looking to secure a quality win in the back half of the regular season.

SMU set the tone early, jumping out to a 14–4 lead with the help of three early makes from

downtown. Louisville's offense took time to get going, with several passing turnovers and

missed shots from behind the arc. SMU kept Louisville at bay for most of the 1st half, utilizing a

balanced scoring attack from their starting lineup and capitalizing well off the Cardinals'

mistakes. Senior guard BJ Edwards impressed for the Mustangs, scoring 13 points and nabbing two steals in the 1st half. Boopie Miller also had 11 points for SMU, and 7’2” big man Samet Yigitogulu was a perfect 4/4 from the field with 8 points. Despite shooting 4/19 from deep in the 1st half, Louisville only trailed by three with a first-half score of 47–44.

After a back-and-forth start to the 2nd half, Louisville claimed its first lead of the game with

14:37 left in the game on a transition layup by senior guard Kobe Rodgers. Louisville mixed up

their defensive looks, getting SMU out of rhythm by playing a full-court press and also playing

some zone defense. The defensive adjustments paid off, as SMU racked up a high amount of

turnovers early in the half. Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. was a consistent force for the

Cardinals, using his quickness off the dribble to get quality looks in the paint. After several lead changes, Louisville went on a 10–0 run to take a 71–62 lead with 7:41 left in the game.

Louisville maintained a strong lead for the rest of the contest, led by Mikel Brown Jr. (20 points) and Isaac McKneely (14 points).

Despite a slow offensive start for Louisville, they upped their defensive intensity in the 2nd half and played with pace to break away from SMU in what was an 88–74 victory. Louisville's bench outscored SMU 55–5 in what should age as a strong win for the Cardinals.

Contributor: Adam Simmons