LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — In a staggering display of offensive firepower, the Louisville Cardinals dismantled the North Carolina State Wolfpack 118-77 in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game Monday night at a sold-out KFC Yum! Center.

The 41-point margin of victory was fueled by a historic shooting performance from Louisville, which connected on 18 of 30 attempts from three-point range, a blistering 60% clip. The Cardinals’ offensive rating of 147.8 points per 100 possessions underscored an evening of near-perfect efficiency, as they shot 60% overall from the field and 81.5% from the free-throw line.

The game was effectively decided in a breathtaking first-half onslaught. After a brief 7-7 tie, Louisville unleashed a 31-8 run over a nine-minute span that transformed a competitive contest into a lopsided affair. The Cardinals hit seven three-pointers during the surge, with guards Mikel Brown and Ryan Conwell serving as the primary architects of the destruction. North Carolina State, meanwhile, went ice cold, missing 12 of its first 15 shots and finishing the half just 4 of 17 from beyond the arc.

By halftime, Louisville had built an insurmountable 56-36 lead, having shot 65.5% from the field and 9 of 14 from three-point range. The Wolfpack, despite a valiant 20-point effort from forward Ven-Allen Lubin, could never muster a response after the initial barrage. Any hope of a second-half rally was extinguished when Louisville opened the final period with a 9-2 spurt, pushing the lead to 27 points and prompting an early North Carolina State timeout just 90 seconds in.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably Louisville’s first-half explosion, which showcased a level of shot-making that completely demoralized a capable Wolfpack defense. The Cardinals moved the ball with precision, generated open looks consistently, and knocked them down with ruthless confidence, turning what was projected to be a close game into a runaway before the intermission.

Brown, a 6-foot-5 guard from Orlando, Florida, delivered a career-defining performance for Louisville, scoring a game-high 45 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 7 of 12 from three-point range. He added two assists and two steals in 33 minutes, continuing a stellar stretch of play. Conwell was equally brilliant, contributing 31 points, six assists and a block. The backcourt duo combined for 76 points on 25-of-38 shooting.

Lubin led North Carolina State with 20 points and a block. Guard Tre Holloman added 19 points, and Quadir Copeland chipped in 10 points and three assists off the bench. The Wolfpack shot just 41.2% from the field and a frigid 18.2% from deep.

With the victory, Louisville improved to 18-6 overall and 8-3 in the ACC. The Cardinals, who were installed as 5.5-point favorites, easily covered the spread, and the combined score of 195 soared over the over/under line of 162.5. North Carolina State fell to 18-7 and 7-4 in conference play.

Louisville next faces Baylor in a non-conference showdown in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday. North Carolina State returns home to host Miami on Saturday.