University of North Carolina Athletics
Best Games Of 2014-15: No. 4
July 14, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Once again this July, GoHeels.com will count down the top 25 wins of the school year. Check back around noon EDT each weekday for the latest update before the No. 1 win is revealed on July 17. To catch up on previous entries, click here.
No. 4: No. 18 Carolina 72, No. 5 Louisville 71 - Men's Basketball, Jan. 10, 2015
After entering the 2014-15 season with loads of potential, Marcus Paige and the Carolina men's basketball team endured a start-stop first two months. The Tar Heels were 11-4 and 1-1 in the ACC coming off a disappointing 71-70 loss to Notre Dame, and Paige was dealing with a variety of foot and leg ailments early in his junior campaign.
Meanwhile, Louisville was making its first trip to the Smith Center as a member of the ACC and the Cardinals were rolling. Rick Pitino's club was 14-1 with its lone setback coming against consensus No. 1 Kentucky in December. UofL was, however, looking for a signature win to supplement a relatively weak non-conference slate.
So it was with a certain level of mutual pressure that the two teams put together a rather tepid opening half. Carolina shot just 36.8 percent from the field but countered that by outrebounding Louisville 26-14. Chris Jones led all scorers at the break with 11, while a balanced Tar Heel effort saw Kennedy Meeks, Justin Jackson and Nate Britt all score six, and the teams entered the locker room tied at 34.
The Cardinals dominated the first 12 minutes of the second half, and Wayne Blackshear's 3 put Louisville up 63-50 with just 8:43 to play. The deficit was still nine with less than six minutes remaining before the Tar Heels finally found their stride, thanks to a bench that outscored UofL 20-0 and some trapping zone looks that took the Cardinals out of rhythm on offense.
The Louisville lead was three when J.P. Tokoto tipped in his own miss with 2:11 to play before Paige passed out of a triple team to Brice Johnson, whose short hook shot with 38 seconds left put Carolina up by a point.
Terry Rozier answered with a clean pull-up from the left wing to give the Cardinals a 71-70 lead before Roy Williams called a timeout to set up the game-winning play for his hobbled guard.
Just as in the win at NC State during his standout sophomore campaign, it was seemingly obvious that Paige would get the call. And despite a rolled right ankle that saw him leave the court for a time during the second half, Paige answered.
Paige scored with 8.5 to go and then was out of the play after falling into a camera operator. So he could only watch as Louisville got off two good looks, including Blackshear's wide open 3 from the corner, before Brice Johnson swatted the loose ball into the seats to seal UNC's best win of the young ACC season.
It was a win that reminded everyone of what this team, collectively, and its quiet superstar were capabale of.
Previous Entries
No. 5: Carolina 86, Ohio State 84 (NCAA Second Round) - Women's Basketball, March 23, 2015
No. 6: No. 4 Carolina 12, No. 1 Denver 10 - Men's Lacrosse, Feb. 27, 2015
No. 7: Carolina 45, No. 25 Duke 20 - Football, Nov. 20, 2014
No. 8: No. 13 Carolina 4, No. 3 Illinois 3 (NCAA Round of 16) - Men's Tennis, May 14, 2015
No. 9: Carolina 2, No. 7 Clemson 1 (NCAA Round of 16): Men's Soccer, Nov. 30, 2014
No. 10: LeHardy Leads Carolina To ACC Title - Women's Cross Country, Oct. 31, 2014
No. 11: No. 6 Carolina 96, No. 18 Rutgers 93 (2 OT) - Women's Basketball, Dec. 4, 2014
No. 12: No. 8 Carolina 3, No. 3 Florida State 1 - Volleyball, Nov. 14, 2014
No. 13: No. 1 Carolina 2, No. 2 Connecticut 1 - Field Hockey, Sept. 28, 2014
No. 14: Carolina 7, No. 24 Notre Dame 3 (8 inn.) - Softball, April 26, 2015
No. 15: No. 17 Carolina 5, No. 21 Georgia Tech 3 - Baseball, March 20, 2015
No. 16: No. 9 Carolina 3, No. 18 Notre Dame 2 (2 OT) - Women's Soccer, Sept. 20, 2014
No. 17: No. 19 Carolina 71, No. 3 Virginia 67 (ACC Tournament) - Men's Basketball, March 14, 2015
No. 18: No. 16 Carolina 4, No. 9 Duke 3 (ACC Championship) - Men's Tennis, April 24, 2015
No. 19: No. 4 Carolina 17, No. 2 Syracuse 15 - Men's Lacrosse, April 11, 2015
No. 20: No. 2 Carolina 4, No. 12 Virginia 3 - Women's Tennis, April 10, 2015
No. 21: No. 14 Carolina 1, No. 7 Penn State 0 (2 OT) - Women's Soccer, Sept. 9, 2014
No. 22: No. 2 Carolina 12, No. 3 Duke 6 - Women's Lacrosse, April 17, 2015
No. 23: Carolina 15, No. 9 Georgia 9 - Softball, April 2, 2015
No. 24: Carolina 17, No. 12 Virginia 16 - Wrestling, Feb. 7, 2015
No. 25: Tar Heels Sweep Virginia in Charlottesville - Swimming and Diving, Jan. 24, 2015
