By Jordan Shim–
The No. 7 ranked men’s basketball team (22-6, 10-5) lost to No. 8 North Carolina (24-5, 12-3) 74-63 in Chapel Hill. Sophomore Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points in the loss.
Four UNC starters scored double-digit points with Justin Jackson leading the way with 21. The Tar Heel’s dominated the Cards on the glass, finishing with a 46-33 rebound advantage.
The game started with over excitement from both teams. UNC ran their up-tempo offense but failed to execute. Louisville’s defense stifled the Tar Heels, forcing the Heels into 2-of-15 shooting and four turnovers. Louisville attacked the paint to take a 12-7 lead.
Both offenses quickly picked up but went about scoring differently. UNC hit four threes in the first half, while Louisville attacked inside, scoring 26 of their 30 points in the paint. At the break, Louisville trailed 33-30. Sophomore Deng Adel paced the Cards with eight points.
Mitchell, who scored only four points in the first half, found his stroke in the second. He knocked down two threes to tie the game at 40 with 15:27 remaining.
UNC had a 13-3 run to create breathing room. From then on, UNC continued attacking with high-percentage shots. Defensively, they used their length to full effect, crowding the lane and forcing Louisville to settle for contested pull-up jumpers.
UNC pulled away midway through the second half as the lead grew to as much as 17. Free throws served as the major difference. UNC shot 20-of-27 from the line, while Louisville went 4-for-13.
Louisville is 1-5 against top-25 ACC opponents this season. The loss puts the Cards in a four-way tie for second place in the conference with Duke, Florida State and Notre Dame.
Louisville hosts Syracuse Feb. 26. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Photo by Alex Kormann / The Daily Tar Heel
