How it happened: No. 11 Louisville handles Jackson State 106-70
No. 11 Louisville handled Jackson State in its second non-conference game of the season by a score of 106-70.
Once again, the Cards got off to a fast start, scoring 55 points in the first half behind a balanced and fluid offense. We saw Louisville turn up the defensive intensity throughout the first 20 minutes, using a full-court press. By the end of the night, Louisville had forced 12 Tigers turnovers and scored 15 points off of them. Louisville finished with 12 fast-break points.
Jackson State found lightning in a bottle for stretches of Thursday night. Preseason All-SWAC wing Dorian McMillian made seven field goals for 18 points. Jayme Mitchell and Daeshun Ruffin each finished with 20+.
The Cardinals were without starting forward J’Vonne Hadley, who entered concussion protocol after the South Carolina State win, and was held out of Thursday night’s game for precautionary reasons. However, Kasean Pryor made his 2025-26 debut against the Tigers. Pryor totaled six points, three rebounds, and three fouls. You can find more about his injury and debut here.
Sophomore wing Khani Rooths started his first career game in Hadley’s place and had his first career double-double, adding 16 points and 10 rebounds. He was coming off a career-best 20 points in Monday’s opener against South Carolina State.
True freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. had a rough shooting performance, going 5-of-11 from the floor, but finished with 18 points and a team-high nine assists. He also snatched five rebounds, and Brown was one of four starters to finish in double-figures.
Ryan Conwell was one of those starters, and he finished the night as the Cardinals’ leading scorer. The Xavier transfer finished with a team-best 19 points and eight rebounds. Off the bench, Adrian Wooley provided nine points and five rebounds, but also fouled out in 18 minutes.
German center Sananda Fru also had his best game since joining the program. Fru finished with 12 points (6-of-8 FG) and five boards.
As a team, Louisville shot 52 percent from the field and 30 percent (10-of-33) from beyond the arc. But it was 26 free throws that propelled the Cardinals towards their second win of the winter. Fifty points in the paint, going 9-of-9 on dunks and 14-of-22 on layups, was also a factor in securing the victory.
Pat Kelsey’s Cardinals now shift focus to No. 9 Kentucky, who travel up the road next Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 8 PM on ESPN at the KFC Yum! Center.
