No. 18 Kentucky’s falls to No. 16 North Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Tuesday night’s battle between the Wildcats and the Tar Heels went down to the wire, featuring 14 lead changes and nine ties, but North Carolina ultimately came out on top, 67–64.

Rupp Arena was packed and loud, boosted by the introduction of new Kentucky football head coach Will Stein in the first half.

The Cats didn’t hit a single three in the first half (0–8), but still managed to head into the break tied at 31 thanks to an efficient 50% shooting performance from the field (15–30).

In the second half, Kentucky led by as many as six, with Brandon Garrison knocking down the Wildcats’ only three-pointer of the game at the 13:08 mark. Kentucky finished just 1–13 (7.7%) from beyond the arc.

After Garrison’s three-pointer, the Wildcats did not make another field goal until the 2:43 mark. Kentucky went 2–16 from the floor to close the game.

Despite the scoring drought, Kentucky still led 56–50 with 5:30 to play, but the Wildcats couldn’t secure key stops or rebounds late. North Carolina made six of its final nine shots and outscored Kentucky 17–8 over the final 5:30.

Rebounding remains a major concern for Kentucky against Power Five competition. North Carolina outrebounded the Wildcats 41–30, including 20 offensive rebounds for the Tar Heels.

Kentucky will have another chance at its first signature win of the season this Friday when the Wildcats travel to Nashville to take on No. 11 Gonzaga. The game will be played at Bridgestone Arena and is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2.