That was one great team win for the Tar Heels.
Going into the ACC-SEC Challenge headliner at Kentucky, Carolina was looking for help from the perimeter to complement its leading inside scorers. And the Heels got it at the right time.
Luka Bogavac hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Heels only their second lead of the second half, and freshman Derek Dixon scored five crucial points in the last minute on a step-back 3-pointer and a driving lefthanded layup in the thrilling 67-64 victory, UNC’s first win in Lexington since 2007.
That was crucial to take the pressure off Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson, who finished with double doubles in a defensive struggle that saw both teams suffer long scoring droughts in the second half. Veesaar led all scorers with 17 points; Wilson also had 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block.
They both started slowly in the first half that ended in a 31-31 tie, with Kentucky going 0-for-8 from the arc and not doing much better after the break, finishing 1-for-13 from outside and wound up shooting 43 percent overall.
Kentucky’s continued focus on Veesaar and Wilson left openings on the perimeter that Bogavac, Dixon and Jonathan Powell filled to keep the score close before Kentucky’s shooting woes proved fatal.
Dixon replaced starting point Kyan Evans down the stretch and proved his skillset and toughness warrants even more minutes moving forward. He reportedly stood out in practices before the season and has gradually gotten the chance to show it in games.
“His 3-pointer was after a play we called didn’t work,” said Hubert Davis, “and his drive to the basket had the right angle and he finished.”
Hubert has harped on winning the backboard battle and the Tar Heels did so with a 41-30 edge overall and 20-8 on the offensive glass. The head coach likened it to two kinds of dogs.
“There are dogs that just want to play with you and hug you,” he said, “and there are outside dogs that you really don’t want to play with. I told the team I’d rather have dogs that bite, and we did tonight.”
Veesaar and Wilson got most of the raves from the ESPN crew, which included Dick Vitale in his season debut despite his ongoing battle with cancer. But after the game, Dixon got the live interview and said, “My teammates trusted me to make plays. I love these guys and wouldn’t want to play with anyone else.”
This was Carolina’s second quad 1 win of the young season, having also beaten Kansas, while 5-3 Kentucky has lost all three opportunities against Louisville, Michigan State and now the Heels, who did not have such a win until late into last season that had them stuck on the NCAA bubble.
UNC is now 26-18 against Kentucky, which is the best record against the school with most wins of all time.
Featured image via Associated Press/James Crisp
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.
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UNC was looking for help from the perimeter to complement its leading inside scorers. And the Heels got it at the right time.
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