No. 22 North Carolina Beats Kentucky 75-63 as Wildcats Fall to 1-5

No. 22 North Carolina closed out nonconference play with a 75-63 win over Kentucky on Saturday at the 2020 CBS Sports Classic.

Led by Armando Bacot's 14 points and eight rebounds, North Carolina improved to 5-2 on the season, earning its second win a row after snapping a two-game losing streak it suffered at the hands of No. 17 Texas and No. 3 Iowa.

For Kentucky, whose early-season woes showed signs of slowing early on in this game, Davion Mintz added 15 points and seven rebounds, but to no avail. 

Saturday's loss marks the first time that the Wildcats have lost five consecutive games under John Calipari's tenure and the first time since 1989-90. They are 1-5 for the first time since 1926-27. 

Notable Performers

• Brandon Boston Jr., Wildcats: 15 PTS (5-14 FG, 0-3 3PT, 5-8 FT), 7 REB, 2 AST
• Davion Mintz, Wildcats: 17 PTS (6-11 FG, 3-6 3PT, 2-5 FT), 8 REB, 2 AST
• Armando Bacot, Tar Heels: 14 PTS (5-8 FG, 0-0 3PT, 4-6 FT), 8 REB, 1 AST
• Garrison Brooks, Tar Heels: 11 PTS (5-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-3 FT), 6 REB, 1 AST

Balanced Scoring Boosting North Carolina

A year after Cole Anthony and Garrison Brooks paced the scoring for a miserable 14-19 Tar Heels team, Carolina has a much more balanced scoring approach this season—one that has helped contribute to their success.

Rather than two stars pacing the squad, North Carolina entered Saturday with four players averaging more than 11 points—Bacot (11.0), R.J. Davis (11.2), Caleb Love (11.2) and Brooks, who leads the team with 11.8. 

The balanced attack was in play against Kentucky, as Bacot, Brooks and Kerwin Walton collected 11 points each. 

Where is Olivier Sarr?  

Olivier Sarr had an average of 12.2 points per game heading into Saturday's matchup, but he didn't attempt a single bucket against North Carolina until he stepped to the free-throw line in the final minutes.

In 18 minutes, he added an assist and four rebounds, but he also had three turnovers and was one of three players to foul out, doing so with less than five minutes to play. 

The senior, who transferred in from Wake Forest, can provide some vital veteran leadership on a young Kentucky roster, but in order to overcome their less-than-ideal start to the season, Kentucky needs positive contributions from everyone—especially those who are averaging 27.6 minutes per game. 

What's Next? 

North Carolina will open conference play when it travels to 3-1 NC State on Tuesday night.

Kentucky will head right back into a meeting with another Top 25 team when it travels to No. 23 Louisville on Saturday. The Cardinals were upended by No. 12 Wisconsin 85-48 on Saturday, in Louisville's first game since Dec. 1.