Highlights, Photos and Notes: Louisville 83, North Carolina 70

The highlights, photo gallery and team & player notes from the Cardinals' win vs. the Tar Heels.

Louisville’s Noah Waterman goes in for the dunk in the first half against North Carolina at the KFC Yum! Center. January 1, 2025 / Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program is kicking off the new year on a high note, earning a resume-boosting 83-70 victory over North Carolina on New Year's Day.

The Atlantic Coast Conference put together a highlight tape of the matchup, which you can see here:

Team Notes:

• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Louisville used a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to six in the middle of the first half, the run was capped off by a three-point basket by Reyne Smith. The Cards maintained their six-point lead for the rest of the half, 37-31.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: North Carolina bounced back during the second half, going on an 8-0 run that lasted 3:12, to bring the Tar Heels within one. Louisville answered with a run of their own, using a 12-1 run to stretch the lead to double digits with 1:21 remaining to bring the final score to 83-70.
• Louisville shot 26-58 (45%) from the field, 6-26 (23%) from deep and 25-39 (64%) from the free-throw line.
• The Cards had four players in double figures: J’Vonne Hadley (10), Chucky Hepburn (26), James Scott (11), and Reyne Smith (17).

Player Notes:

• Chucky Hepburn chipped in 26 points, two rebounds, seven assists for 33 minutes of action. Chucky tied the program record with 16 made free throws, sharing the record with Samardo
  Samuels and Charlie Tyra.
• Reyne Smith contributed 17 points and season high three steals in 27 minutes of play off the
  bench.
• James Scott scored 11 points to go along with eight rebounds, two blocks, one steal and
  assist playing for 25 minutes.

Gallery:

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward James Scott (0) dunks against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jae'Lyn Withers (24) and forward Jalen Washington (13) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jalen Washington (13) and guard Ian Jackson (11) pressure Louisville Cardinals forward James Scott (0) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) reacts during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) dribbles against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) shoots against North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (4) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) battles Louisville Cardinals forward Aboubacar Traore (25) for a rebound during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey calls out instructions during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) shoots against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Noah Waterman (93) drives to the basket against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terrence Edwards Jr. (5) reacts during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) dribbles against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) dribbles against Louisville Cardinals forward Aboubacar Traore (25) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

NOTE: Photos courtesy of Jamie Rhodes.

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