Kentucky pulls off big-time victory, takes down No. 9 North Carolina in Chicago
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The Kentucky Wildcats are No. 19 in the country, but have a couple of disappointing losses on their resume — one on opening night to a dominant Duke team, and one recently to an unranked Seton Hall squad.
However, on Saturday evening in Chicago at the CBS Sports Classic, the Wildcats put together perhaps their best effort of the season against No. 9 North Carolina.
The Wildcats took a nine-point lead into halftime and never looked back, dominating the Tar Heels en route to an 80-72 win.
The starting five of Ashton Hagans, P.J. Washington, Reid Travis, Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro scored all but four points in the victory, with Johnson leading the way with 23 points. Travis added 20 points, while Herro (15 points) and Washington (11 points) also scored in double figures.
The Wildcats had a huge advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Tar Heels 42-32. They also dished out 24 assists to North Carolina’s 18.
Next up, the Wildcats break for Christmas before returning to the court on Dec. 29 at Louisville for a big rivalry game. Then, SEC play starts with a trip to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama on Jan. 5.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
