Kentucky reaps redemption — for player and team — in rout of North Carolina
For its trip to Las Vegas, Kentucky seemingly packed the memory of last weekend’s loss at Notre Dame.
UK Coach John Calipari said as much earlier in the week when assessing the transition from playing against Notre Dame to facing North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic.
“Our kids want to play and get that taste out of their mouths,” Calipari said.
UK’s 98-69 victory over the Tar Heels Saturday emphatically showed that mission was accomplished. The second-most lopsided UK victory ever over the Tar Heels — surpassed only by an 83-44 blowout on Jan. 9, 1950 — was a 180-degree departure from what happened in South Bend.
Sahvir Wheeler, who suffered the indignity of being on the bench in the final minutes of the nip-and-tuck loss at Notre Dame, personified redemption. He scored 26 points, which was one shy of the career-high 27 he scored for Georgia against Florida last season.
While Notre Dame left Wheeler open to shoot from the perimeter, he made UNC seem defenseless. Nine of his first 11 baskets were on purposeful drives to the basket.
Kellan Grady made five of seven three-point shots and scored 18 points. That nearly matched the six threes (in 23 attempts) he had made in the last four games combined.
Despite first-half foul trouble, Oscar Tshiebwe posted his eighth double-double. He finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Even with Tshiebwe going to the bench after his second foul with 12:37 left, Kentucky trailed for only 14 seconds of the first half.
A 26-15 rebound advantage with Tshiebwe contributing “only” seven suggested Kentucky came to play.
Kentucky took the lead for good less than two minutes into the game when Tshiebwe drove for a score while being fouled. That put UK ahead 3-2 with 18:11 left.
The lead grew to as much as 23-8 inside the first 10 minutes and crested at 35-17 with 4:22 left. Fittingly, a driving layup by Wheeler gave Kentucky its 18-point lead. It was his fifth driving layup in six baskets to that point.
North Carolina closed within 38-27 with 1:12 left in the first half. That marked the smallest UK lead in more than nine minutes.
As UNC fans got louder, Wheeler answered with a mid-range jumper from the right side that maybe served as a personal redemption given the open elbow jumpers he missed at Notre Dame.
Kentucky matched the two three-pointers made at Notre Dame with 13:54 left in the half when Grady hit a corner three.
UK exceeded the total at Notre Dame in memorable fashion. After UK Coach John Calipari seemed to yell for him to fire away, TyTy Washington made a three-pointer with 8:12 left.
Kentucky made three of seven three-point shots in the half.
Another reminder of Kentucky’s loss at Notre Dame came in the final seconds of the first half. After publicly second-guessing not calling a timeout before UK’s final possession at Notre Dame, Calipari called time with 20.5 seconds left (18 seconds on the shot clock).
UK did not score as Wheeler missed a heavily contested mid-range shot.
Nothing changed early in the second half.
Wheeler drove three times for layups barely three minutes into the half. That meant eight of his 10 baskets were on drives.
The third of the second half put UK ahead 51-35. When Wheeler’s pass set up a Tshiebwe layup, the lead was 53-35, which matched the Cats’ largest lead to that point.
Not willing to wait for a television timeout, North Carolina Coach Hubert Davis called time with 16:17 left.
Kentucky exorcised another Notre Dame demon midway through the second half. Remember Grady’s three-pointer that spun out in the final minute last Saturday?
When Davion Mintz missed the second of two free throws with 12:29 left, Wheeler grabbed the rebound and passed to Grady at the top of the key and Grady fired away. This time his three-pointer spun around the rim and fell through to put Kentucky ahead 65-43.
Another second-chance opportunity created by a rebound of a missed free throw put UK ahead 78-48 with 8:54 left.
This time Tshiebwe grabbed the rebound and scored the points on a dunk.
Next game
Louisville at No. 21 Kentucky
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published December 18, 2021 at 7:51 PM.
