Tar Heels rally, escape with win

Freshman Tony Bradley Jr. blocked a shot in the final seconds and No. 7 North Carolina overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Tennessee 73-71 on Sunday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Justin Jackson scored the go-ahead basket for the Tar Heels (10-1) with 2 minutes, 14 seconds remaining and freshman Brandon Robinson added a key tip-in with 52.4 seconds left.

Tennessee (4-4) had a last chance to tie as Lamonte Turner drove toward the basket. The 6-foot-10 Bradley blocked the shot, however, and then grabbed the loose ball.

North Carolina shot just 40 percent, with Jackson managing seven points on 3-for-15 shooting. Sophomore Kenny Williams III had 12 points, while Nate Britt had 11 points, seven assists and five steals in place of point guard Joel Berry II, who missed his second straight with an ankle injury.

Robert Hubbs III had 21 points to lead the Volunteers, who shot 65 percent in the first half and finished at 52 percent. But Tennessee offset that by going just 3 of 13 from 3-point range.

Wildcats roll: Malik Monk scored 20 points, Isaiah Briscoe had 19 and No. 6 Kentucky took control with a 26-3 run spanning halftime in a 96-73 victory over Hofstra in the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival in New York.

De’Aaron Fox had 15 points and Bam Adebayo added 14 for the Wildcats (9-1), who closed the first half on a 12-0 run and opened the second with a 14-3 spurt to go ahead 62-36 with 16 minutes to play.

Deron Powers had 18 points for the Pride (6-5).