North Carolina’s struggles in the second half against Michigan State carried over into the first five minutes against Kentucky. The Tar Heels went 2-of-7 to open the game, leading to a 10-4 deficit at the first media timeout.

It was a swift recovery by North Carolina, as they went on a 14-7 run in the ensuing four-minute stretch, connecting on 5-of-8 shot attempts during that span. The Tar Heels would lead 18-17 with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Both teams went through a dry spell, but Kentucky forced two steals, which led to consecutive transition dunks by Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen. The Wildcats are eighth in the nation in fast-break points this season, and that has shown in the first 12 minutes. That quick spurt resulted in the Wildcats leading 23-20 with 7:18 remaining.

Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar were uncharacteristically inefficient, combining for 13 points while collectively shooting 5-of-19. However, the Tar Heels’ bench stepped up with 10 points from Jonathan Powell and Derek Dixon.

On the hand, Kentucky failed to make one three in the first half, missing all of its eight attempts from beyond the arc. The two bloods would be knotted at 31 at the half.

On Monday, head coach Hubert Davis emphasized controlling the boards, and that message resonated with his players. North Carolina stayed in striking distance with their dominance on the boards. The Tar Heels were down 43-42 with 14:46 remaining in the game, and without 15 offensive rebounds, North Carolina would be down by nearly double digits.

When it felt like Kentucky would pull away, the Tar Heels would string together a couple of stops with a pair of made shots. Veesaar was beginning to impose his will, scoring five straight points. Despite that, the Wildcats would still lead 53-49 with 7:39 remaining. Neither team could buy a basket for nearly four minutes.

Kentucky went over nine minutes without a made field goal, which allowed North Carolina to crawl back into the game and regain ground on the Wildcats. With 3:47 remaining in the game, the two teams were tied 56-56.

Oweh would finally end the Wildcats’ scoring drought, driving to the rim on a tough layup, taking a 59-58 lead with 2:37 left in the game. Luka Bogavac would respond with a clutch three in the corner, which was assisted by Wilson, who recognized the help defender leaving Bogavac open.

Dixon was monumental in the final minute of the game, hitting a go-ahead three-point shot with 54 seconds left. Kentucky’s guard Collin Chandler would respond with a game-tying layup on the next possession. However, Dixon would strike again with a blow-by layup, giving the Tar Heels a 66-64 lead with 12.4 seconds remaining.

Chandler would drive to the basket again, creating a good look for himself, but failed to convert the layup. Wilson would corral the rebound before being fouled with 2.8 seconds on the clock. Wilson would make one-of-two free throws, giving North Carolina a 67-64 lead. The freshman forward would then ice the game with a steal.

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