LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Guard Mikel Brown Jr. erupted for 45 points Monday night, including 10 3-pointers, as No. 24 Louisville (18-6, 8-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) routed N.C. State (18-7, 9-3 ACC) 118-77.
Brown eclipsed the previous ACC freshman single-game scoring record of 42 points, set last season by Duke’s Cooper Flagg.
The 45 points also tied Hall of Famer Wes Unseld’s single-game Louisville scoring mark, set Dec. 1, 1967, against Georgetown College.
After up-and-down scoring outputs in five games since returning from a lower back injury, the heralded freshman guard had 21 points with five 3s by halftime before erasing LaBradford Smith’s school freshman mark of 32 midway through the second.
“These guys keep encouraging me to be myself every single day and every single game, and I say all the time, I’ve just got to get my rhythm back,” Brown said postgame. “I feel like it’s starting to click for me and it’s starting to click for this team as well. Like I said, we’re starting to figure things out. And to be alongside [senior guard Ryan Conwell] in the backcourt frees me up a lot. This definitely was a team win, and I’m glad I’m getting my rhythm back.”
Brown’s record-tying 3 came with 2:09 remaining, bringing a huge cheer from a white-clad crowd of 14,389 eager to see if he’d approach Unseld’s school mark.
He finished 14 of 23 from the field with a career-best 10 of 16 from beyond the arc, topping his previous best of 29 points against rival Kentucky in November. That had ranked fourth-best all time among Louisville freshmen coming in.
According to UofL Athletics, Louisville’s 118 points were its highest point total since a 119-61 defeat of Morehead State on Dec. 6, 1995.
Conwell added 31 points. The win snapped a six-game streak for the Wolfpack.
“Obviously, Kel [Mikel Brown, Jr.] and Ryan had a night that they’re going to tell their grandkids about,” said UofL head coach Pat Kelsey postgame. “I know a million records were broken. I’m just proud of those guys.”
Senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin led N.C. State with 20 points.
Up next for UofL is a non-conference matchup Saturday, Feb. 14, at Baylor. Tipoff is 4 p.m.; ESPN will televise the game.
date: 2026-02-10 13:49:00
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