UNC remained undefeated at home with a 77-74 victory over Louisville on Monday night. Seth Trimble had a career night with 30 points, and Carolina held on until the end despite nearly blowing a 16-point lead in the second half.
The Cardinals built their lead with a three-point play before they cooled off and UNC started the offense. The Tar Heels shot 61 percent in the first half and kept Louisville well away from the free throw line, but they only led by one at halftime. Louisville was unable to score for long stretches of the second half while Carolina built itself a solid lead. Louisville went on a 7-0 run to get the Cardinals back into the game, and they tied the game at three with less than a minute left.
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UNC shot 47% from the free throw line, making things more difficult than they need to be. They completed just nine of their 19 attempts, with three very important attempts coming late. They outrebounded the Cardinals 41-32, including 16 offensive rebounds.
Trimble really took over the game with his career night. It was his first three-pointer since the game-winner against Duke. Henry Vissar and Luka Bogavac each scored 12 points. Jalin Stevenson had nine points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Penalties have really plagued this team all year long and will continue to make late minutes and close score situations incredibly tense. Thankfully, Trimble was a solid finisher at the free throw line, but it was almost flirting with disaster.
Mikel Brown Jr. and Ryan Conwell combined to go 16-for-44 for the Cardinals. Twenty-five of their shots came from beyond the arc. Louisville scored 74 points and the pair finished with 47 points.
UNC will try to remain perfect at home when it welcomes Virginia Tech to Chapel Hill on Saturday.