UNC defense neutralizes Louisville’s elite 2-point shooting on Monday

The North Carolina Tar Heels secured another impressive ranked win on Monday night, holding off Louisville’s late charge for a 77-74 victory.

UNC (22-6, 10-5 ACC) built its lead up to 16, shooting over 60 percent from the field at one point. North Carolina finished its night 54 percent overall, while its defense – despite a late near-collapse – kept the Cardinals’ (20-8, 9-6 ACC) high-octane offense in check.

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Just how impressive was the Tar Heels’ defense? They held Louisville, which entered the game 14th nationally at 60.1% from 2-point range, to just 42.9% (12-of-28) from inside the arc.

The Cardinals, also well-known for their perimeter shooting, finished 39% overall from the field. Louisville shot even worse from deep at 36%.

Freshman star Mikel Brown Jr. scored 24 points to lead the Cardinals, while Ryan Conwell added 23 points. UNC limited the effectiveness of both Louisville stars until late, when a 16-point deficit turned into two.

North Carolina’s next opponent, Virginia Tech (Saturday, February 28 at 8:30 p.m.), averages a 45.3% mark from the field. The Hokies (18-10, 7-8 ACC) are in a cold stretch, winning just three times in their past eight tries, but dominated Wake Forest in a 19-point blowout last weekend.

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The Tar Heels host Clemson (45.8% FG shooting) at 7 p.m. on March 3 in their home finale, then travel to Duke on March 7 for a Tobacco Road Rivalry rematch. The ACC-leading Blue Devils shoot 50% from the field, 18th-best in Division one, so UNC will be in for a tough challenge.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC defense limits Louisville to 42.9 percent on 2-pointers Monday

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/unc-defense-neutralizes-louisvilles-elite-150110086.html

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Publish date : 2026-02-25 15:01:00

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