Lexington, KY

Russ Smith scored 27 points as the Louisville Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Tourney's Sweet 16 with an 82-56 victory over the Colorado State Rams Saturday at Rupp Arena.

The Cardinals secured their spot following another dominant performance against a mid-major team.

Louisville used a fast start to control the pace of the ballgame and CSU couldn't catch up.

Smith shot 7-for-15 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line to carry the scoring load for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals, who outscored the Rams by double digit in both half, also had a solid output from Peyton Seva (10 points and 5 dimes).

Greg Smith led the way for the Rams with 14 markers Daniel Bejarano added 10 points and 7 boards off the bench.

Louisville shot 56.4 percent from the field while its defense forced the Rams to commit 19 costly turnovers.

The Cardinals will next face the Oregon Ducks in the Sweet 16 of the men's basketball tournament.

Russ Smith had another big night, leading four players in double figures with 27 points, and top-seeded Louisville beats Colorado State 82-56 on their way to the Midwest Region semifinals

Copyright © - All Rights Reserved

Russ Smith Sizzles as Louisville Crushes Colorado State