Aaron Harrison – photo by Tammie Brown | WildcatWorld.com
Marcus Paige scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half and James Michael McAdoo had 20 points, helping No. 18 North Carolina beat No. 11 Kentucky 82-77 on Saturday.
J.P. Tokoto added 15 points for the Tar Heels (7-2), who grinded out yet another marquee nonconference victory in a first month of the season filled with wild swings. UNC shot 57 percent after halftime and scored 20 points off turnovers to finally wrestle control of a foul-filled game away from the Wildcats (8-3).
It wasn’t always pretty for the Tar Heels, from 19 missed free throws to seeing the Wildcats swat away seven of their shots. Yet they managed to add another big name to their early wins against then-No. 1 Michigan State and then-No. 3 Louisville — all coming while top scorer P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald sit out due to NCAA eligibility concerns.
Kentucky guards Aaron Harrison and Andrew Harrison scored 20 and 17 points, respectively, and guard James Young added 16.
