DALLAS — Reyne Smith delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 30 points while tying his career best with a remarkable 10 three-pointers. With this effort, No. 25 Louisville secured a 98-73 victory against Atlantic Coast Conference newcomer SMU on Tuesday night, marking their first game as a ranked team in four years.

Chucky Hepburn contributed 13 points and set a new career high with 16 assists, establishing another program record. The Cardinals (15-5, 8-1 ACC) extended their winning streak to nine games, with J’Vonne Hadley and James Scott both adding 16 points to the scoreboard.

This week, under the direction of first-year coach Pat Kelsey, Louisville made a return to the AP Top 25 for the first time since January 2021. The roster features numerous transfers and a single freshman, with the only returning player being a fifth-year walk-on.

On the other side, Matt Cross led SMU (14-5, 5-3) with 18 points as they had their three-game winning streak come to an end. B.J. Edwards also made a notable contribution with 16 points.

Hepburn, a senior who transferred from Wisconsin, sparked the game with an opening three-pointer, allowing the Cardinals to maintain the lead throughout and even stretch it to as much as 32 points.

Notable observations from the game include Louisville achieving their longest winning streak since an impressive run of 10 consecutive victories in early 2020. For SMU, the Mustangs faced a setback after their recent triumph of 117-74 against Miami, as they now find themselves 0-2 at home against ranked ACC teams during coach Andy Enfield’s inaugural season. Their prior defeat was against Duke, who now stands at No. 2, with a score of 89-62.

A pivotal moment in the contest occurred when James Scott executed three alley-oop dunks from Hepburn during a 12-2 run, which pushed Louisville to a commanding 29-10 lead. The first two dunks came within just 30 seconds of each other.

Statistically, SMU struggled with their shooting, missing 13 of their first 15 attempts and facing an 11-point deficit midway through the first half, despite entering the game as the ACC leader with a 48.6% shooting average from the field.

Looking ahead, Louisville will have a week off before hosting Wake Forest next Tuesday, while SMU prepares to face N.C. State on Saturday.