Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Isaac McKneely (10) reacts to a play during the second half against the South Florida Bulls during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Highlights, Photos and Notes: Louisville 83, USF 79

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Mar 19, 2026 6:26 PM ET

The Louisville men's basketball program didn't make it easy on themselves, but they were able to hold off South Florida just long enough, escaping with an 83-79 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals' first win in the Big Dance since 2017, and head coach Pat Kelsey's first ever NCAA Tournament win after losing his first five.

Below is the highlight tape of the matchup provided by the NCAA, as well as the team and player notes provided by the program:

Game Highlights:

Team Notes:

UofL used the starting lineup of Adrian Wooley, Isaac McKneely, Ryan Conwell, J’Vonne Hadley and Vangelis Zougris for the fifth time this season. The group is now 4-1 together.
KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Louisville used a 13-2 run between 12:42 and 8:31 to create a 13-point, 24-11 lead. The Bulls got as close as eight in the half but never closer.
Every player who touched the floor for Louisville in the first half scored.
Louisville is now 43-5 under Pat Kelsey when leading at halftime, including a 19-2 mark this season.
KEY SECOND HALF RUN: The Cardinals ran their lead up to as high as 22 points at 66-44 with 10:31 on the clock. South Florida went to work and strung a 12-2 run together to cut UofL’s lead to just 70-59 with eight and a half minutes to go. The Bulls worked the deficit down to just four points by the final five seconds of the game, but Louisville held off the comeback to achieve an 83-79 victory.
Louisville is 50-0 under Pat Kelsey when leading with five minutes to play.
Louisville shot 53.8% (28 of 52) from the field, 52.0% (13 of 25) from deep and 56.0% (14 of 25) from the free-throw line.
Louisville’s 13 3-pointers were the second-most ever by the Cards in an NCAA Tournament game.
Louisville’s 52.0% shooting from beyond the 3-point line was the second-best ever by the Cards in an NCAA Tournament game.

Player Notes:

Isaac McKneely tied his season high 23 points on Thursday, netting seven 3-pointers. The seven triples tie his previous career high achieved while at Virginia. McKneely played only 28 minutes and added three boards, two assists and one steal.
Sananda Fru notched his fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 10 boards and 10 points. He blocked two shots and went 4 of 5 from the field in his 25 minutes.
Kobe Rodgers guard came up clutch in winning time, pulling down one of his six rebounds in a key defensive stop. He tacked on four points, five assists and two steals.
Ryan Conwell had 18 points, six assists and four boards in his 37 minutes on the floor.