In a hard-fought battle last night, the Louisville men’s basketball team fell short against the No. 4/3 North Carolina Tar Heels, losing 86-70. Despite trailing by 17 points at halftime and facing a 20-point deficit in the first half, the Cardinals put up a strong fight and managed to cut the Tar Heels’ lead to just five points with 12:40 remaining in the game.
However, North Carolina responded with a 13-5 burst, preventing Louisville from getting any closer than eight points for the rest of the game. “They are a team that could easily win a championship this year,” said Louisville head coach Kenny Payne. “We knew that coming in. I thought we played hard, I thought we fought, but there are no good efforts and moral victories with this program. I want to win games.”
The Tar Heels got off to a strong start, going on an early 11-0 run and taking a 15-4 lead within the first five minutes of the game. Louisville struggled with turnovers in the first half, committing nine, while North Carolina shot 50% from the field, giving them a commanding 46-29 halftime advantage.
However, the Cardinals came out firing in the second half, making nine of their first 10 shots and hitting seven consecutive shots at one point. Redshirt sophomore guard/forward Mike James’ 3-pointer trimmed North Carolina’s lead to 55-50, giving Louisville hope.
Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed when UNC’s RJ Davis was fouled on a difficult fadeaway 3-pointer and made all three free throws. This sparked a 13-5 run by the Tar Heels, extending their lead to 68-55 with eight minutes remaining.
Louisville’s sophomore guard Skyy Clark managed to bring the Cardinals within eight points with a 3-pointer at the 6:28 mark, but that was as close as they would get. The Tar Heels went on a 9-0 run, leaving no doubt about the outcome of the game.
Clark led Louisville in scoring with 16 points, including four made 3-pointers, and also contributed four assists. Junior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard Tre White added 12 points.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals showcased strong shooting, outshooting the Tar Heels from the field at 49.1%, including an impressive 64% shooting percentage in the second half. Louisville also made 6 of 8 3-pointers after halftime and shot 44% from deep for the game.
For the Tar Heels, Davis had a standout performance, leading the team with 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Former Louisville player Jae’Lyn Withers also had a solid showing with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cardinals will remain in North Carolina this week as they prepare to face Wake Forest on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in Winston-Salem. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
