DALLAS – University of Louisville men’s basketball extended its winning streak to nine games on Tuesday night with a 98-73 win over SMU.

“SMU is similar to us in a lot of ways in that, they have very balanced scoring,” said head coach Pat Kelsey on the win. “It’s not that you can circle one guy on the scouting report and focus on him. There’s a bunch of guys that can really hurt you. They’re as good in transition as there is in our entire league and they’re a ferocious rebounding team as well. We knew we had our work cut out for us, but our guys did a good job adhering to the scouting report and obviously played really well and shot the ball really well. Chucky (Hepburn) had a magical game, as did Reyne (Smith) but we’re fortunate to come out of a tough environment, against a really good team with a win.”

Louisville opened the game on a 17-6 scoring run with five of their six made field goals coming from behind the three-point line.

SMU ended their scoring drought with two free throws at 11:15 before James Scott scored back-to-back alley-oop dunks from Chuck Hepburn to extend the Cards’ lead to 21-8.

Two consecutive 3-pointers by Reyne Smith sparked a 20-7 run that elapsed 6:01 and earned Louisville a 41-17 advantage. During that time, Scott made his third dunk of the game and the Cards made six baskets from behind the charity stripe.

The Mustangs outscored Louisville 10-9 in the final minutes of the half, but the Cards entered halftime with a dominating 50-27 lead, the 50 points being Louisville’s most in a first half this whole season.

The Cards made ten 3-pointers during the first half, which marks the most they’ve made in a half all season.

Louisville made 14 total field goals in the first, all of which had an assist credited as well.

SMU scored the first basket of the second half, but the Cards responded quickly with eight unanswered points forcing the Mustangs to take a timeout.

The Cardinals continued the offensive clinic out of the break and throughout the remainder of the second half, never letting SMU get closer than 17 points and defeating the Mustangs 98-73.

Louisville had five players in double figures including Smith (30), Scott (16), J’Vonne Hadley (16), Hepburn (13) and Khani Rooths (12).

Hepburn’s career-high 16 assists are the most by an ACC player in a conference game since UNC’s Kendall Marshall hit the mark against FSU on Feb. 6, 2011. He is now Louisville’s all-time leader for assists in a single game.

Smith tied his career-high in three pointers made with ten on the night. It marks the most in a league game since Notre Dame’s Matt Farell did it against Boston College on Feb. 17, 2018. It breaks Louisville’s all-time record for three-point field goals made in a single game.

Louisville will enjoy a week off before facing Wake Forest on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the KFC Yum! Center. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.