For the third time this season, Kentucky played a ranked opponent. For the third time this season, the Cats lost, falling 67-64 to No. 16 North Carolina. Ready or not, opportunity No. 4 is coming up fast, vs. No. 11 Gonzaga in Nashville on Friday.
No one would describe tonight’s game as pretty, but it was close, tied nine times with 16 lead changes. Every time it looked like Kentucky was ready to pull away, North Carolina would push back, sometimes literally to get a rebound. The Tar Heels outrebounded Kentucky 41-30, 20-8 on the offensive glass, leading to 22 second-chance points.