Brown Returns to Lead No. 23 Louisville Past Virginia Tech, 85-71.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mikel Brown Jr. made a strong return after an eight-game absence, scoring 20 points to help No. 23 Louisville defeat Virginia Tech 85-71 on Saturday. The 6-foot-5 freshman point guard, sidelined with a back injury, went 7-for-11 from the field, marking his fourth 20-point performance of the season, and also contributed a team-high six assists.

The first half featured poor shooting from both teams, but the Cardinals (14-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) finished strong, outscoring Virginia Tech 14-3 over the final 3:54 to take a 37-22 halftime lead. Virginia Tech (15-6, 4-4 ACC) managed just 24.2% shooting (8-for-33) before intermission, recording their second-lowest point total and field-goal percentage of the season. Louisville extended its lead to 49-29 with 14:24 remaining, but the Hokies responded with a strong stretch, hitting 10 of their next 11 shots. Amani Hansberry made back-to-back 3-pointers, cutting the deficit to 64-56 with 7:22 left. That proved to be the only time Louisville’s lead fell below 10 points in the second half. A 12-2 run, capped by Ryan Conwell’s four-point play, increased the Cardinals’ advantage to 17 with 5:11 remaining, and they maintained control the rest of the game.

Conwell finished with 15 points, while J’Vonne Hadley added 14, and Sananda Fru recorded his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. For Virginia Tech, Jailen Bedford led with 24 points, Ben Hammond scored 18, and Hansberry added 12, with 11 coming in the second half. Next up, Virginia Tech will host Georgia Tech on Tuesday, while Louisville travels to face No. 5 Duke on Monday.