FORT WORTH, Texas (Interstat) — Mikel Brown scored 29 points to lead Louisville to an 82-71 victory over Baylor in a men’s NCAA basketball game Saturday at Lupton Stadium. The game was tied 34-34 at halftime before the Cardinals used a 48-point second half to secure the win. Brown added six assists for Louisville, which improved to 19-6. J’Vonne Hadley contributed 20 points for the Cardinals. Baylor, which fell to 13-12, was led by Isaac Williams with 20 points. The Bears struggled from beyond the arc, making just 2 of 22 three-point attempts. Louisville shot 56% from the field and was efficient from the free-throw line, making 18 of 20 attempts. Attendance was 3,314.

FORT WORTH, Texas (Interstat) — On a afternoon when Baylor could not find its shot from the perimeter, Mikel Brown and the Louisville Cardinals capitalized with ruthless efficiency, pulling away in the second half for an 82-71 victory Saturday at Lupton Stadium. In a game that was tied at 34 at halftime, Louisville’s offensive precision and Baylor’s frigid three-point shooting proved to be the decisive factors. The Bears finished a staggering 2 of 22 from beyond the arc, a 9.1% clip that crippled their ability to keep pace. Louisville, meanwhile, shot 56% from the field and a near-perfect 18 of 20 from the free-throw line to secure its fourth consecutive win. The most important stretch of the game came early in the second half, when Louisville transformed a deadlocked contest into a comfortable lead. After the break, the Cardinals unleashed a 13-3 run over the first four minutes, fueled by their star guard. Brown, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Orlando, Florida, scored or assisted on nine of those points, including a dunk and a trio of free throws. That surge gave Louisville a 47-37 advantage, and Baylor never managed to cut the deficit below six points for the remainder of the game. Brown was the engine for Louisville, finishing with 29 points and six assists in 35 minutes. He consistently broke down Baylor’s defense, either finishing at the rim, drawing fouls, or setting up teammates. His backcourt partner, J’Vonne Hadley, provided crucial support with 20 points and five rebounds. The Cardinals’ frontcourt anchor, Sananda Fru of Berlin, Germany, added eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks, controlling the paint defensively. Baylor’s offense struggled to find consistent rhythm outside of drives to the basket. Isaac Williams led the Bears with 20 points, but his backcourt mate, Cameron Carr, had a difficult afternoon, missing all six of his three-point attempts. Tounde Yessoufou, a freshman from Cotonou, Benin, battled for 16 points and four rebounds. The Bears attempted to compensate by attacking the glass, securing 11 offensive rebounds and earning 30 free-throw attempts, making 25. However, their inability to connect from deep and 14 second-half points from Louisville off turnovers negated those advantages. Louisville’s offensive rating of 118.0 on 70 possessions underscored a sharp, controlled performance. They committed only nine turnovers in the second half after a sloppy start and outscored Baylor 18-7 in fastbreak points, highlighting their ability to convert defensive stops into easy baskets. With the victory, Louisville improved to 19-6 overall, continuing a strong run in conference play. Baylor fell to 13-12, suffering its third loss in four games. The Cardinals will look to continue their momentum on the road at SMU on Tuesday. Baylor will also hit the road, traveling to face Kansas State on Tuesday night. The game drew an attendance of 3,314. Louisville covered the pregame spread as a 6.5-point favorite, and the total score of 153 fell well under the over/under line of 163.