LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ohio could not slow down the fast-paced Louisville offense in a 106-81 loss Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.

The No. 12 Cardinals scored 59 points in the first half and shot 50% for the game while putting six different players in double figures.

Jackson Paveletke match a career high with 28 points and added four assists, but it wan not nearly enough for the Bobcats (1-3).

Ryan Conwell led Louisville (4-0) with 22 points and six rebounds, while Mikel Brown Jr. scored 19 points with seven assists.

Isaac McKneely hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the game, and the Cardinals led the rest of the way. Their first big run was eight straight points, turning a 9-7 lead into a double-digit advantage six minutes into the game.

Ohio kept the deficit between eight and 13 points for most of the first half but could not get stops when it had a chance to get closer. Back-to-back 3-pointers from McKneely made it a 17-point game, 49-32, with 4:13 left in the first half, and the advantage was as big as 58-37 on a Kobe Rodgers fastbreak layup.

After trailing 59-44 at halftime, the Bobcats made small runs and got as close as 64-52 on a Paveletzke 3-pointer, but Louisville always had an answer. Sananda Fru scored in the paint, and Conwell hit a 3-pointer to put the advantage back up to 17.

Leading 72-59, the Cardinals put the game away with a 9-0 run. J’Vonne Hadley’s layup with 10:51 make it 81-59. The closest the Bobcats got after that was 85-69 on a JJ Kelly layup.

McKneely finished with 15 points, Frui scored 14 points, and both Hadley and Adrian Hooley had 11 points.

Aidan Hadaway tallied 12 points and eight rebounds before fouling out, Kelly had a career-high 11 points and five rebounds, and Dior Conners scored 10 points for Ohio. Javan Simmons had a team-high nine rebounds but scored only six points.

Louisville shot a blistering 55.6% in the first half, including 52.9% (9 of 17) on 3-pointers. Its pressure led to 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and 17 in the game.

The Cardinals also had a 41-34 rebounding advantage, dominated second-chance points 26-5 and had a 27-18 edge in points off turnovers.

Forward Jalen Breath, who averaged 10 points and three rebounds in the first two games, sat out for the second game in a row, while Elijah Elliott missed his third straight.

After a pair of very difficult road games, Ohio returns home to host Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. Wednesday at The Convo.