Louisville Unleashes Relentless Offense, Leaving Eastern Michigan Stunned in Dominant Showdown

When Louisville’s Khani Rooths squared off against Eastern Michigan’s Mohammad Habhab at the KFC Yum! Center Monday night, sparks flew early in a showdown that would leave no doubt about who’s controlling this season. Habhab tried everything—up-and-under moves, slick turnarounds—but Adrian Wooley’s timely defense forced turnovers and shifted momentum swiftly. Then came Rooths, calmly knocking down the crucial three-pointer that edged the No. 5 Cardinals ahead for good. It wasn’t just a game; it was a display of defensive grit and seasoned offense that bulldozed Eastern Michigan, leading Louisville to a convincing 87-46 blowout and keeping their unbeaten streak alive. With a balanced attack led by Isaac McKneely’s 17 points and solid teamwork across the board, Pat Kelsey’s squad proved once again they’re a force to be reckoned with this season. The Cards now set their sights on a Wednesday night clash against NJIT—expect more fireworks at the Yum! Center. LEARN MORE

Khani Rooths held strong while Eastern Michigan’s Mohammad Habhab backed him down on the block five minutes into the first half Monday night at the KFC Yum! Center.

Habhab moved into the paint and tried to hit the Louisville basketball sophomore with an up-and-under move – then a turnaround. But he spun directly into a collapsing Adrian Wooley, who slapped the ball out of his hands.

Nineteen seconds later, after Isaac McKneely missed a wide-open look from beyond the arc and Aly Khalifa came down with an offensive rebound, Kobe Rodgers swung the ball to Rooths standing in 3-point territory. The Eagles didn’t close out, and the sophomore from Washington, D.C., made them pay with a triple that gave the No. 5 Cardinals (6-0) the lead for good.

Pat Kelsey’s team didn’t hit the century mark like it did in its three previous games against mid-major opponents to start the 2025-26 season. But UofL suffocated EMU with defense and a balanced offensive attack en route to an 87-46 victory.

The Cards, for a second time this campaign, held a foe to less than 20 points during the first half. Eastern Michigan was sitting at 17 on 6-for-31 shooting with eight turnovers leading to 11 Louisville points after the opening 20 minutes. They finished shooting 28.1% from the field and 13.3% from beyond the arc.

McKneely led all scorers with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting (5 for 9 from 3). He was followed by Khalifa and Mikel Brown Jr., who chipped in 11 apiece.

Up next for Louisville: a 9 p.m. tipoff Wednesday against NJIT at the Yum! Center. The Highlanders entered Monday with the lowest KenPom.com ranking of any opponent remaining on the Cards’ schedule, 349th out of 365 Division I teams.

This story will be updated.

Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball remains perfect, handles Eastern Michigan