Boasting superior size, speed and strength, the Kentucky Wildcats handed UNC an 84-70 setback on Saturday in a men’s non-conference basketball game at Rupp Arena.

Willie Cauley-Stein starred for the No. 1 Wildcats in a brilliant all-around game with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and a pair of blocks. Devin Booker came off the bench to match Cauley-Stein in points, while Aaron Harrison added 14 for the 11-0 Wildcats.

No. 21 UNC, to its credit, hung around when it looked like the Tar Heels could be blown out in a few spots but ultimately fell to the deeper squad in dropping to 6-3 overall.

Brice Johnson led the Tar Heels with 15 points, while Marcus Paige heated up in the second half and finished with 14 including a 4 of 6 effort from behind the arc.

UNC’s best stretch came on an 8-0 run, capped by a Kennedy Meeks tip in that moved the Tar Heels within single digits at 66-57 late in the second half.

With just under five minutes remaining Cauley-Stein had a slam dunk and was the successful oop in an alley from teammate Trey Liles as the Wildcats finally pulled away for good.

The Tar Heels tried to play catch-up throughout and had their moments, as when Paige silenced crowd with a trey four minutes into the second half, but it only cut the ‘Cats lead to 59-43.

The biggest differences in the first half came from behind the arc, where the Wildcats were 6 of 12, and at the free throw line as they connected on 13 of 17 attempts. Kentucky continually went to the basket, continuing that trend in the second half, and finished 23 of 31 at the stripe.

The Tar Heels had just three attempts from long range. connecting on one and were 3 of 4 from the charity stripe as their lack of physical play cost the Heels.

Kentucky had 29 points from its backcourt compared to just 6 for UNC and also committed four fewer turnovers (6).

The Wildcats 15 points bulge at the break (49-34) would have been bigger if an Aaron Harrison long distance three had not rimmed out at the buzzer.

Still, Kentucky was in firm control as it was throughout the contest, shooting a blistering 56.3 percent from the field, compared to a decent 45 percent mark for the Heels.

A more serious concern for the Tar Heels was head coach Roy Williams, who appeared dazed for a few moments during the second half. It wasn’t clear if he had slipped on the floor or perhaps just suffered a dizzy spell or something akin to that.

Williams appeared to be OK when congratulating Kentucky players at the end of the contest, however and there was no further report if his health was an issue immediately after the game.

Related Stories
‹
Art's Angle: Trench Fighting
The ironies were unmistakable. UNC men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis said before the game that rebounding would be a key to victory, and while Kentucky’s size and athleticism were superior to Carolina’s, a botched rebound by two colliding Tar Heels (Cormac Ryan and Jae’Lyn Withers) cost them a key possession with 1:08 left in the […]
Chansky's Notebook: All On Nike
Don’t blame Nike for the black uniforms. It’s part of the deal. Among the reactions to Carolina’s dismal showing against Kentucky in Las Vegas was dislike for the black unis with the light blue names and numerals. Although Roy Williams pledged to never don them again if his team lost, the once-a-year outfit is all […]
Art’s Angle: False Positives
Since we’re in the era of COVID, let’s say that Carolina’s performance in Las Vegas against Kentucky was a series of false positives. The five-game winning streak that included impressive second halves was apparently no indication that the Tar Heels were ready to play a full game against a quality opponent like the nationally-ranked Wildcats. […]
No. 22 UNC Locks Down in Second Half, Rallies to Top Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic
Using a second-half surge, the No. 22 UNC men’s basketball team managed to rally back on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 75-63 in the CBS Sports Classic.  The Tar Heels (5-2) trailed by double-digits early in the first half—as they have so often this season—but were able to claw back […]
Former Duke Stars Win Call of Duty Tournament Hosted by Former UNC Star Justin Jackson
Former UNC standout–and 2017 ACC Player of the Year–Justin Jackson hosted a Call of Duty tournament on Thursday pitting former Tar Heels against players representing Duke, Villanova and Kentucky. Seth Curry’s team of former Blue Devils ultimately took home the victory in the finals, with Grayson Allen being named the MVP for his performance in […]
Costly Turnovers Doom No. 9 UNC in Loss to No. 19 Kentucky
Coming off a signature victory last weekend at home against Gonzaga, the ninth-ranked UNC men’s basketball team had a chance for another on Saturday in Chicago—but too many costly turnovers ultimately cost the Tar Heels in an 80-72 loss to the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats. While UNC (8-3)was able to overcome 23 turnovers against Gonzaga […]
UNC Men's Basketball Invited to Play in 2019 CBS Sports Classic, Held in Las Vegas
The announcement came Thursday morning that UNC will again be one of four men’s basketball teams featured in the 2019 CBS Sports Classic, which will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Games will be held on Dec. 21, 2019 with the Tar Heels taking on UCLA and Kentucky facing off against Ohio […]
Luke Maye's Late Jumper Downs Kentucky, Sends UNC to the Final Four
Big time players. Make big time plays. In big time games. UNC sophomore forward Luke Maye showed Sunday night in Memphis he is indeed, a big time player, as his jumper from the left wing with 0.3 seconds remaining gave the top-seeded Tar Heels a thrilling 75-73 victory over the No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats […]
Game Time Set for Sunday's Elite Eight Matchup Between UNC and Kentucky
With the NCAA Tournament now down to just eight teams, game times have been set for the last round of matchups prior to the Final Four. The top-seeded Tar Heels will take on No. 2 Seed Kentucky in the South Regional Final on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. That game will take place in Memphis at […]
No. 6 Kentucky Outlasts No. 7 UNC in Classic Thriller Behind Monk's 47 Points
Just months removed from one of the greatest college basketball games ever played, the seventh-ranked UNC men’s basketball team experienced a bit of déjà vu on Saturday during an adrenaline-fueled 103-100 loss to No. 6 Kentucky in Las Vegas. Led by freshman guard Malik Monk’s 47 points—a number that nobody in the entire country has […]
›