LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mikel Brown Jr. returned from an eight-game absence and scored 20 points to lead No. 23 Louisville to an 85-71 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Brown had been sidelined by a back injury. The 6-foot-5 freshman point guard went 7 for 11 from the field in his fourth 20-point game of the season and added a team-high six assists.
Neither team shot particularly well in the first half, but the Cardinals (14-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) warmed up toward the end as they outscored the Hokies 14-3 over the final 3:54 to take a 37-22 halftime lead.
Virginia Tech (15-6, 4-4) shot just 24.2% (8 for 33) before intermission. The point total and shooting percentage in the first half were both the second-lowest of the season for the Hokies.
Louisville led 49-29 with 14:24 left, but Virginia Tech finally found its touch and made 10 of its next 11 shots, with Amani Hansberry hitting two 3-pointers 30 seconds apart to cut the deficit to 64-56 with 7:22 remaining.
That was the only time the Cardinals’ lead went under 10 points in the second half. A 12-2 run capped by Ryan Conwell's four-point play put Louisville up 17 with 5:11 to play, and the Cardinals were never threatened the rest of the way.
Conwell finished with 15 points. J’Vonne Hadley added 14 and Sananda Fru posted his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Jailen Bedford led the Hokies with 24 points, and Ben Hammond added 18. Hansberry had 11 of his 12 points in the second half.
Virginia Tech hosts Georgia Tech on Tuesday.
Louisville visits No. 5 Duke on Monday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
You're invited to our Sale Like a Celebrity event, hosted by Expedia Cruises. Join us at Rou… Read moreCelebrity Cruises Special Event
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Imagine the rock and roll of Jimi Hendrix, the wild abandon of Janis Joplin’s vocals, and th… Read morePacifica Performances presents…Dirty Cello
Kick off 2026 with movement, confidence, and FUN! Join us for our Last Chance to Dance Studi… Read moreLast Chance to Dance Open House- Free Dance Demos, Food, Face Painting & More!
Join the Belmont Parks and Recreation Department as we host our annual Sweetheart Dance for … Read moreSweetheart Dance
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.