A scrambled CBS Sports Classic schedule resulted in one of Kentucky’s biggest victories ever over a longtime rival Saturday night.
With Ohio State and UCLA sidelined from the annual event due to COVID-19 issues, the other two participants — UK and North Carolina — were matched up against each other at the last minute. The result couldn’t have been better for the Wildcats.
Kentucky defeated the Tar Heels, 98-69, for its largest margin of victory over UNC since 1950 and the second-largest in the history of the series.
This was the 38th meeting in the series since that game, and neither team has won by more than UK’s 29-point margin Saturday night.
The No. 2-ranked Wildcats defeated North Carolina, 83-44, on Jan. 9, 1950. Kentucky ultimately went 25-5 that season, finishing the year with the No. 3 ranking. The Cats have six double-digit victories over North Carolina since that day in 1950, but nothing like Saturday night’s game.
Between 1950 and this one, Kentucky’s largest margin of victory over UNC was a pair of 20-point wins over the Tar Heels. The Cats beat UNC, 79-59, in December 2001, and UK topped the Heels, 100-80, in December 1963.
North Carolina still leads the all-time series with the Wildcats, 25-17, but Kentucky has now won seven of the last 11 meetings between the two blue-blood programs. All 11 of those games have come with John Calipari as head coach.
UNC’s largest margin of victory over Kentucky in the modern era is 19 points, coming in November 2008. North Carolina won the national title later that season, which was UK’s final year with Billy Gillispie as head coach. UNC beat UK, 41-20, in the very first meeting between the two teams in 1924.
Kentucky was originally supposed to play Ohio State in Saturday’s event, with UNC originally slated to match up with UCLA.
The Wildcats will return home to Rupp Arena for a game against rival Louisville on Wednesday night.
Largest victory margins in UK-UNC series
39 — Kentucky 83, North Carolina 44, 1950
29 — Kentucky 98, North Carolina 69, 2021
21 — North Carolina 41, Kentucky 20, 1924
20 — Kentucky 79, North Carolina 59, 2001
20 — Kentucky 100, North Carolina 80, 1963
19 — North Carolina 77, Kentucky 58, 2008
17 — Kentucky 98, North Carolina 81, 2002
17 — Kentucky 93, North Carolina 76, 2000
17 — North Carolina 101, Kentucky 84, 1973
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