December 30, 2025
Berkeley, Calif. — The Louisville Cardinals opened their West Coast swing in authoritative fashion Thursday night, rolling past the California Golden Bears 90–70 at Haas Pavilion.
Louisville set the tone early and never relinquished control, building a double-digit advantage in the opening minutes and carrying a 48–34 lead into halftime. The Cardinals were highly efficient in the first half, shooting 54.3 percent from the field while connecting on eight three-pointers to put the Bears on their heels. The lead ballooned to as many as 26 points in the second half, allowing Louisville to dictate pace for most of the night.
Despite the comfortable margin, the Cardinals accomplished the win without one of their top playmakers. Star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. did not play while nursing an injury. Brown, who starred at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, was a McDonald’s All-American selection last season and has been a key contributor this year, averaging 16.6 points and 5.1 assists per game. Brown is hopeful he will be ready to return Friday night when Louisville faces Stanford to close out its West Coast trip.
Senior guard Ryan Conwell led all scorers with 26 points, knocking down six of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc. His shooting stretched Cal’s defense early and kept the Bears from generating sustained momentum.
Inside, Sananda Fru controlled the glass, pulling down 14 rebounds, 10 defensivley, as Louisville dominated the boards, 49–32. Fru also added 13 points, while Adrian Wooley chipped in 21 points. J’Vonne Hadley and Isaac McKneely each finished with 11 points in a balanced scoring effort for head coach Pat Kelsey.
Cal showed better energy in the second half and briefly trimmed the deficit to 11 points, but the early hole proved too much to overcome. The Bears were led by Chris Bell, who scored 20 points, and Justin Pippen, who added 17. Lee Dort recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Dai Dai Ames contributed 11 points.
The win marked the first stop on Louisville’s West Coast swing. The Cardinals will face the Stanford Cardinal Friday night at 5:00 p.m. PT before returning home to host the Duke Blue Devils on January 6 at the KFC Yum! Center.
Cal remains at Haas Pavilion for another marquee matchup Friday night, hosting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who enter the game at 10–4 overall and 1–0 in conference play.