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No. 12 Louisville Tops No. 9 Kentucky 96–88 Behind Freshman Mikel Brown Jr.'s 29

The breakout performance snapped a three-game rivalry slide, signaling early momentum under Pat Kelsey.

Overview

  • The KFC Yum! Center was sold out for the first time since Rick Pitino’s last home game, with Donovan Mitchell sitting courtside.
  • Mikel Brown Jr. poured in 20 first-half points and later converted a key three-point play, finishing three shy of the program’s freshman single-game record.
  • Transfer guard Ryan Conwell supplied 24 points to complement Brown’s scoring in the Louisville backcourt.
  • Louisville moved to 3-0 after withstanding a surge that cut a 78-58 lead to 88-84 with 4:02 left, closing the night with only six turnovers.
  • Pat Kelsey labeled Brown “special,” and the freshman proclaimed “Louisville is back, 100 percent,” as the Cardinals look next to Saturday’s home game against Ohio.