North Carolina was tied with Louisville at home with more than six minutes to play when the Tar Heels clamped down, allowing the Cardinals only three points the rest of the way, to win 70-63 at home. (2/21)
For most of the game, it looked as if the teams may have been headed to another overtime game like the one earlier in the month. The lead changed hands eight times and the game was tied seven times.
With the teams knotted at 60-all, UNC’s R.J. Davis came up with a steal and a layup to make it 62-60 with 5:52 to go.
“I saw a change to change the momentum and I anticipated the pass,” Davis said.
Brady Manek, who led the Heels with 17 points, hit a key baseline jumper with 3:25 left to put Carolina up by more than a possession at 64-60.
Louisville’s Malik Williams sank a long, contested three pointer to draw the Cardinals to within a point at 64-63 with 2:52 to go. But the visitors would never score again.
Carolina burned clock and scored on a nifty Davis to Manek to Armando Bacot play. Manek handed it off to Bacot for the dunk that made it 66-63 with 1:35 to play.
Jarrod West missed a three for the Cardinals and Carolina ran clock again. Caleb Love all but wrapped it up when he drove around defenders for a layup with 39 seconds left. Love gave the Heels their biggest lead of the game at 70-63 when he hit both ends of a one-and-on with just under 20 seconds to go.
The Tar Heels held the Cardinals to just one of their last nine shots. UNC coach Hubert Davis said defensively his players were flying around and playing with a lot of energy and effort over the last four minutes or so of the game.
“We made plays when plays were needed,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. We talked about staying together and our guys really responded.”
Carolina’s biggest lead before the final score was 13-7 and Louisville’s biggest was just four points, also in the first half.
The teams were tied at 36-36 at the half and neither team had a lead bigger than three in the second half until Manek’s big baseline jumper with 3:25 left. “We need players to step up and make plays and Brady did that,” Davis said.
The Tar Heels outshot the Cardinals 49 to 45 percent and converted nine more free throws. Both teams hit seven threes and both teams committed 13 turnovers.
Bacot had another double-double game with 12 points and 15 rebounds while Love and Davis joined Bacot and Manek in double figures with 16 points each.
Louisville falls to 12-15 overall and 6-11 in the ACC while Carolina improves to 20-8 and 12-5 in the conference. The Tar Heels play at N.C. State Saturday.
For a box score and more on the game, please click here.