Overview
- Ryan Conwell hit a season-high five threes and scored 25 points, with 17 after halftime, against a familiar foe from his Xavier past.
- Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. finished with 22 points despite 4-for-15 shooting, punctuating the win with a late three and fast-break dunk on consecutive trips.
- The Cardinals missed their first 10 shots and trailed 32-28 at the break, then opened the second half with a 12-5 surge and never gave back the lead.
- Louisville capitalized on 13 Cincinnati turnovers for 17 points, pushed the series to 57-44, and won the 101st meeting at downtown Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center in the Hoops Classic.
- In the women’s rivalry, No. 20 Kentucky beat No. 21 Louisville 72-62 as a 20-6 third quarter proved decisive, moving the Wildcats to 7-0 and dropping the Cardinals to 4-2.