LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — The Louisville Cardinals used a dominant first-half performance fueled by a barrage of three-pointers to build an insurmountable lead and cruise past the Syracuse Orange 77-62 in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at KFC Yum! Center.

A crowd of 15,306 watched the Cardinals improve to 21-9 overall, while Syracuse dropped to 14-15. The victory solidified Louisville’s position in the upper tier of the ACC ahead of its regular-season finale at Miami on Saturday. Syracuse, mired in a difficult stretch of conference play, will host Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The most important part of the game was Louisville’s immediate and overwhelming establishment of control in the opening half, particularly from beyond the arc. The Cardinals connected on 10 three-pointers before halftime, building a 39-21 lead that the Orange could never seriously threaten. Syracuse’s offensive struggles were pronounced from the start, managing just four made three-pointers on 19 attempts for the entire game and recording only three assists against 10 turnovers.

Louisville’s backcourt duo of Ryan Conwell and J’Vonne Hadley provided the offensive firepower. Conwell, a junior from Indianapolis, scored 23 points, including five three-pointers, and added three assists. Hadley, a senior from Saint Paul, Minnesota, was efficient with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, also making three shots from deep. Isaac McKneely of Poca, West Virginia, complemented them with 16 points, hitting four three-pointers.

Syracuse showed more life after halftime, scoring 41 points, but could never cut the deficit to single digits. The Orange were led by Naithan George, who scored 16 points, and Nate Kingz, who added 14 points and two blocks. William Kyle of Bellevue, Nebraska, protected the rim with three blocks and contributed eight points.

The statistical disparity told the story of Louisville’s comprehensive victory. The Cardinals shot 14 of 35 from three-point range, while Syracuse was a frigid 4 of 19. Louisville also won the turnover battle, committing only seven to Syracuse’s 10, and recorded five steals. Syracuse’s defense did manage seven blocks and won the rebounding battle on the offensive glass, but it was not enough to offset the Cardinals’ superior shooting and ball security.

Louisville’s offensive rating of 112.9 points per 100 possessions starkly outperformed Syracuse’s mark of 93.8, underscoring the efficiency gap between the two teams throughout the night. The Cardinals’ ball movement, evidenced by their 14 assists on 27 made field goals, consistently generated high-quality looks against the Orange zone.

The game unfolded as a stark contrast to pregame projections. While national statistical models gave Louisville a 90.6% probability to win and the Cardinals were installed as 16.5-point favorites, the total score of 139 fell well under the over/under line of 158.5, a testament to Syracuse’s anemic first-half scoring and the game’s pace.

For Syracuse, the loss extends a challenging period in ACC play. The Orange have now lost five of their last six conference games, with the lone win a double-overtime victory over California. Their offense has repeatedly faltered against league competition, a trend that continued in Louisville.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, bounced back from a close road loss at Clemson and reinforced their credentials as an NCAA Tournament-caliber team with a balanced and explosive offensive showing. Their ability to space the floor and shoot over the Syracuse zone from the opening tip established a tone that lasted for all 40 minutes, securing a decisive home victory to close their home schedule.