In a game that unfolded much like Kentucky's November matchup with Kansas, this time the young Wildcats showed they could close out a nail-biter against a veteran-laden, Top-10 opponent.
Kentucky held off a late rally by No. 9 North Carolina, coming up with most of the critical plays down the stretch in an 87-83 win at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta.
"I just liked that they fought," Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. "I liked that, at the end of the game, they made the winning plays.
"This was a game you had to fight. You had to be a dog or you were getting chomped on."
The No. 14 Cats got two big offensive rebounds from Antonio Reeves and Aaron Bradshaw in the final 67 seconds that helped them hang on for the win. Bradshaw and Rob Dillingham combined to knock down four of six free throws in the final minute of play to keep UNC at bay.
The Tar Heels had a final chance to tie with five seconds remaining, but Elliot Cadeau's pass to Cormac Ryan hit its unexpecting target in the back and caromed across the midcourt line for a backcourt violation.
Bradshaw hit one of two free throws with :04.7 remaining to seal the victory.
Kentucky improved to 8-2 on the season and 2-1 against Top 10 opponents. The Cats, who led this one by double digits in each half, previously lost to No. 1 Kansas after letting a 14-point lead slip away with a sloppy finish. That was a distant memory on Saturday.
"Opposed to Kansas, you see that we learned from that," Kentucky senior center Tre Mitchell said. "These dudes are gaining some experience. When a game like this comes down to the wire, you see the fire in dudes' eyes, and they're ready to go get it."
"This is a smart team, a team that likes each other. I'm proud of them," Calipari said.
Balance carried the day for UK. Dillingham led four players in double-figure scoring with 17 points, followed by DJ Wagner (14), Bradshaw (12), and Reed Sheppard (11). All freshmen playing against the veteran-laden Tar Heel roster.
But the Cats also got nine points from Reeves, eight apiece from Mitchell and Justin Edwards, and seven from Adou Thiero.
Kentucky outrebounded North Carolina 42-32 and held an 18-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. The Tar Heels shot better from the field (47% to 42%) but were outscored 15-6 on second-chance points and saw UK force 17 turnovers leading to 19 points.
North Carolina (7-3) was led by Davis with a game-high 27 points and Ryan with 20 points, but the Tar Heels got only nine points and six rebounds by grad senior big man Armando Bacot, who entered the game averaging close to 16 points and 12 rebounds per game.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
North Carolina surged from eight points down to take a 72-71 lead with 5:15 remaining. It was the first and only lead of the game for the Tar Heels. Kentucky responded with a 8-2 run with a putback by Aaron Bradshaw, a drive by Rob Dillingham, a fast-break bucket by Dillingham on a great outlet assist by Reed Sheppard, and a jumper by Antonio Reeves to right the ship. That spurt gave the Cats some nice momentum down the stretch that they needed to hang on for the victory.
GAME BALL:
John Calipari, Kentucky -- We could give this to three or four different players tonight, but the UK head coach had his team ready to play and pushed almost all the right buttons in this one. He let DJ Wagner, Rob Dillingham, and Antonio Reeves work late in the game, keeping them aggressive instead of simply burning clock. Cal improves to 9-4 all-time against the Tar Heels. Not too many coaches can boast that.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Appearance of the season for Kentucky sophomore center Ugonna Onyenso, who missed the first nine games due to a surgical procedure this summer. He recorded one point, one rebound, one assist, and three blocked shots in his debut.
2nd - Win versus a Top 10 team for Kentucky this season. The Cats also defeated No. 10 Miami 95-73 at Rupp Arena on Nov. 28.
5-5 - Cats improve to .500 in CBS Sports Classic games. Four of those five wins have come against the Tar Heels.
00:16 - Time in which UNC held a lead in the game.
36-14 - The Cats' bench-scoring advantage, led by 28 combined points from Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard.
71-33 - Kentucky's all-time record playing in Atlanta, Ga.
QUOTABLE:
"I just go to my happy place." - UK's Aaron Bradshaw on what he does to focus on key free throws in the final minute of play. He knocked down three of four to help the Cats seal the victory.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action next Thursday at Louisville. The Cardinals (4-6) will play host to Pepperdine on Sunday before squaring off with the Wildcats in the annual Bluegrass rivalry game. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.
