Ryan Conwell hits five threes, Louisville overwhelms Pittsburgh 100-59 behind historic first-half surge

Louisville delivers wire-to-wire rout in Pittsburgh

Louisville, ranked No. 20, produced one of its most complete performances of the season Saturday night, rolling past Pittsburgh 100-59 at the Petersen Events Center on Jan. 17, 2026. The Cardinals led from the opening possession, raced to a 53-22 halftime advantage and finished with a 41-point margin.

Guard Ryan Conwell powered the offensive outburst with 24 points, including five 3-pointers. Louisville placed all five starters in double figures and reached 100 points for the fifth time this season.

Efficiency and pace defined the night

Louisville shot 36-of-57 from the field (63.2%) and 15-of-29 from 3-point range (51.7%), numbers that reflected both shot quality and sustained tempo. The Cardinals also won the rebounding battle 35-23, limiting Pittsburgh’s second-chance opportunities and turning defensive stops into quick offense.

The tone was set immediately. Louisville scored the game’s first 13 points, then later posted an 18-1 run in the first half that pushed the lead to 39-8. By intermission, Pittsburgh faced a 31-point deficit that effectively ended any path back into the game.

Balanced scoring behind Conwell’s lead

J’Vonne Hadley added 17 points, while Sanadra Fru and Adrian Wooley scored 12 apiece. Isaac McKneely finished with 11 points and was central to the early separation, hitting three 3-pointers during the opening run.

Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to generate sustained rhythm against Louisville’s pressure and shot-making. Brandin Cummings led the Panthers with 11 points off the bench as Pittsburgh shot 21-of-55 (38.2%). The defeat marked the largest margin of loss in Jeff Capel’s eight seasons as Pittsburgh’s head coach.

Context: a bounce-back win in ACC play

The result came at a needed moment for Louisville, which entered the night having won only once in its previous four games and coming off a 79-70 loss to Virginia on Jan. 13. With the victory, Louisville improved to 13-5 overall and 3-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Pittsburgh fell to 8-10 overall and 1-4 in the ACC.

• Final: Louisville 100, Pittsburgh 59
• Halftime: Louisville 53, Pittsburgh 22
• Louisville shooting: 63.2% FG; 51.7% 3PT

Injuries and availability

Louisville continued to play without freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr., who missed his ninth consecutive game due to a back injury. Reserve Khani Rooks also did not play as he remained sidelined by illness.

Louisville next hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday. Pittsburgh visits Boston College on Wednesday night.