CHAPEL HILL—Justin Jackson scored 21 points and No. 8 North Carolina pulled away after halftime to beat No. 7 Louisville 74-63 on Wednesday night in a matchup of Atlantic Coast Conference leaders.
Kennedy Meeks added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels (24-5, 12-3), who strengthened their hold on first place in the league. UNC entered the night leading both Louisville and No. 10 Duke by a game, but stretched the lead by beating the Cardinals after the Blue Devils' lost at Syracuse earlier in the evening.
The Tar Heels took over with a 13-3 second-half run to break a 40-all tie and led by 17 points late.