Number 18 Kentucky came up short, falling to 16th-ranked North Carolina 67-64 on Tuesday night inside Rupp Arena.
Otega Oweh scored 16 points to lead the Wildcats, who made just 1 of 13 (7.7 percent) from three-point range in the game, while UNC made 6 of 20 (30.0 percent). The Tar Heels controlled the boards, with 41 rebounds compared to just 30 for the Cats. UNC held a significant advantage in second-chance points, winning that category 22-5.
The two teams traded leads throughout the game. The Tar Heels, who improved to 7-1, took a 66-64 lead with 16 seconds to go and then stopped Collin Chandler’s layup attempt in the final seconds to preserve the win.
Chandler had 12 points and Denzel Aberdeen had 10. Malachi Moreno had eight points and nine rebounds.
Kentucky fell to 5-3 on the season and returns to action Friday night against No. 11 Gonzaga at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. with airtime at 4:30 p.m. on 98.7 Lite FM.