RALEIGH, N.C. — Reyne Smith and Terrence Edwards Jr. both contributed 21 points as Louisville clinched a decisive 91-66 victory over N.C. State on Wednesday evening.

The Cardinals displayed impressive shooting, finishing the game with an overall shooting percentage of 64%, having connected on 35 of their 55 attempts. They particularly excelled in the first half at 61%, followed by an even better 67% in the second half. Additionally, they sank 11 of their 19 attempts from beyond the arc and converted 10 of 11 free throw opportunities.

For Louisville (19-6, 12-2 ACC), J’Vonne Hadley made a notable contribution with 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Chucky Hepburn added 15 points.

On the other side, the Wolfpack (9-15, 2-11) had Trey Parker scoring 13 points, with Breon Pass and Paul McNeil Jr. each contributing 12 points. Marcus Hill also reached double figures with 10 points. Unfortunately, this loss marked the ninth consecutive defeat for N.C. State.

The Cardinals established a 14-point lead by halftime and quickly increased their advantage to 20 points early in the second half. A three-pointer by Smith brought the score to 81-53 with just four minutes remaining, and a subsequent three-pointer just a minute later expanded their lead to 28 points.

Louisville started strong, scoring the initial seven points of the matchup and further stretching their advantage to 30-13 after Hadley converted two free throws with about 7.5 minutes left before halftime.

N.C. State attempted a comeback with a 7-0 run that narrowed the gap to 36-27 in the waning moments of the first half. However, a layup from Hepburn and another three-pointer from Smith put Louisville ahead by 41-27 as the teams headed to the locker room.

Dominating the paint, Louisville outscored N.C. State 46-16 in points in that area, while also controlling the fast break with a 21-10 advantage. On the bench, the Wolfpack scored significantly more, racking up 41 points compared to just 11 from Louisville.

With this victory, Louisville moves ahead in the all-time series against N.C. State, now leading 15-14. Looking ahead, N.C. State is set to host Boston College on Saturday, while Louisville will visit Notre Dame on Sunday.