North Carolina Stuns Louisville with Impressive Comeback Victory

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a thrilling matchup on Sunday, No. 9 North Carolina rallied from a significant deficit to defeat Louisville 79-75 at the KFC Yum! Center. This victory marks the Tar Heels’ first win against the Cardinals on their home court in program history and keeps North Carolina unbeaten in away games this season at 9-0.

North Carolina (25-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) managed to secure its seventh consecutive win despite trailing for a majority of the contest. The Tar Heels’ comeback is highlighted by a dominant fourth quarter, where they scored 29 points and shot 80% from the field.

After falling behind by 12 points during the second quarter, North Carolina began to close the gap, cutting Louisville’s lead to 35-29 at halftime. North Carolina struggled offensively in the first half, trailing 20-14 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Tar Heels ignited their performance in the second half.

Leading the charge were Kara Grant and Amy Crisps, both players contributing significantly in the final moments. Grant set a new career high with 19 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, while Crisp added 19 points in her third game back from injury. Her contributions included seven field goals and two assists.

“We really improved our intensity in the second half,” Grant said. “We knew we had to fight for every point to win this game.”

Despite only holding the lead for a total of 58 seconds throughout the game, North Carolina’s determination shone through in the final quarter. After being tied at 73, crisp shooting and strong defense allowed Carolina to gain the edge.

Defensively, the Tar Heels were relentless, locking down Louisville during the critical last moments. Kelly’s made free throws with 39 seconds remaining helped seal the game, preventing the Cardinals from scoring in the closing minutes.

Louisville (19-8, 12-4 ACC), who had control earlier in the game, saw their lead diminish as North Carolina executed a series of successful plays. The Cardinals started strong with a 13-0 run, but could not maintain their momentum as the Tar Heels fought back.

“We had a great first half, but we just couldn’t find our rhythm after that,” Louisville head coach said. “North Carolina played tough and executed when it mattered most.”

With this victory, North Carolina continues to demonstrate its resilience, moving to 6-0 in February and achieving its highest single-season regular season wins since 2012-13.

Next, the Tar Heels return home to face rival Duke on Thursday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.