Kentucky seemed to make all the big plays down the stretch. Even then, North Carolina still had a chance to pull out the victory.
Rob Dillingham scored 17 points, including two straight baskets to swing the momentum back to Kentucky, and the 14th-ranked Wildcats held on for an 87-83 victory over over the No. 9 Tar Heels on Saturday.
North Carolina squandered a chance to go for a tying 3-pointer when Elliot Cadeau, rushing the ball up the court, delivered a pass off the back of Cormac Ryan, who was looking the other way.
Led by the group of talented freshmen, the Cats led by 5-10 points for the majority of the first 20 minutes until a late surge by the Tar Heels to round out the half. UK was able to weather the storm, though, to take the lead into the half, 40-38.
The second half was much of the same. The Cats and Heels were trading punches all the way to the end, but Kentucky made just enough plays to pull off the four-point win in a game that came right down to the final seconds.
Aaron Bradshaw hit 3/4 free throws down the stretch to help the Cats come away victorious.
Saturday's matchup between UK and UNC will be a battle of ranked squads: The Tar Heels (7-2) are No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll, while the Wildcats (7-2) are No. 15.
Led by third-year coach Hubert Davis, the Tar Heels have thrived this season getting to the free-throw line and converting those opportunities: They rank among the top five in Division I in free throws attempted and made per game.
Tar Heels were dominated on the boards. Kentucky finished with a 42-32 edge that included 18 offensive rebounds — none bigger than the play by Bradshaw in the final minute. “It's just the will, the want-to,” Davis said. “We've got to find a way to be a better rebounding team.” Seventeen turnovers didn't help, either, especially the last one.
Kentucky: The Wildcats pulled off their second win of the season against a Top 10 team, having also beaten then-No. 8 Miami in the ACC-SEC Challenge. This one felt especially good after that inexplicable setback to another school from the Tar Heel State, an 80-73 loss at home to UNC-Wilmington on Dec. 2.
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