Derek Dixon's layup leads No. 16 UNC past No. 18 Kentucky

Field Level Media|published: Wed 3rd December, 24:32 2025

NCAA Basketball: North Carolina at Kentucky

Dec 2, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) attempts to grab the rebound against North Carolina Tar Heels forwards Jarin Stevenson (15) and Zayden High (1) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

North Carolina freshman Derek Dixon became the star of the night as his driving layup with 16 seconds left lifted the 16th-ranked Tar Heels to a 67-64 victory over No. 18 Kentucky on Tuesday in Lexington, Ky.

The signature matchup of the ACC/SEC Challenge didn't disappoint, as the contest featured 14 lead changes and nine ties.

Henri Veesaar led the Tar Heels (7-1) with 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Caleb Wilson contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Luka Bogavac added 12 points.

However, Dixon stole the show with the game tied at 64-64 in the final minute, producing the tiebreaking points with a left-handed driving layup.

Kentucky's Collin Chandler missed a potential game-tying layup with four seconds left. Wilson knocked down 1 of 2 free throws to put the Tar Heels up 67-64 with 2.8 seconds left, and Wilson was credited with a steal as Kentucky ended the game with a bad-pass turnover.

The Wildcats (5-3) were led by Otega Oweh's 16 points. Chandler finished with 12 points while Denzel Aberdeen added 10.

Kentucky managed to stay in it despite going 1 of 13 from 3-point range and enduring a 10-plus-minute field-goal drought in the second half.

North Carolina jumped in front 58-57 on a dunk by Veesaar with 3:07 left. Kentucky ended its field-goal drought on the next possession, regaining the lead 59-58 on a layup by Oweh, and the Wildcats were up 62-61 lead going into the final minute.

Dixon knocked down a 3-pointer to give North Carolina a 64-62 lead with 53 seconds left, but Chandler's layup with 36 seconds to go leveled the score.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle with seven lead changes. Kentucky went 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the opening half but doubled North Carolina in points in the paint, 28-14. By the break, the score was 31-31, paving the way for the second-half thriller.

The Tar Heels hit 6 of 20 3-point attempts on the night, outscoring the Wildcats by 15 points from long distance.

--Field Level Media