Tar Heels Overcome 16-Point Deficit to Defeat UCLA, 76-74

North Carolina overcame a 16-point, second-half deficit and raced back to beat No. 18 UCLA, 76-74, on Saturday afternoon in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden.

Carolina shot 57 percent from the floor in the second half, and its defense held UCLA without a field goal in the final 3:42 to complete the comeback win. The Bruins led, 59-43, with 12:50 remaining in the second half. UNC outscored UCLA, 33-15, the rest of the way to grab the victory.

In need of a win over a ranked opponent, the Tar Heels delivered and improved to 7-5 this season. They snapped UCLA’s nine-game winning streak and dropped the Bruins to 10-2 in 2024-25.

Freshman Ian Jackson, a New York native from The Bronx, scored a season-high 24 points, hitting 8 of his team-high 13 shots, including draining a trio of three-pointers and grabbing four rebounds in perhaps his best game yet as a Tar Heel against a strong UCLA defense. His 24 points are the most by a UNC freshman since Caleb Love had 25 against Duke on February 6, 2021.

North Carolina Recap | Box Score

Thornton’s 30 Guides Ohio State to Big Win Over Kentucky, 85-65

Behind a career-high 30 points from junior point guard Bruce Thornton, Ohio State played its most complete game of the season thus far, dominating No. 4 Kentucky 85-65 inside Madison Square Garden in the second game of the CBS Sports Classic, where tonight’s attendance was 19,812, a sellout.

The Buckeyes are now 8-4 on the season and beat Kentucky for the third time in three CBS Sports Classic meetings.

Kentucky came into the game with the nation’s leading offense, scoring nearly 91 points per game. The 65 points on Saturday were the Wildcats’ lowest of the season as they lost for just the second time this year.

Thornton’s career night was a little extra special given the state and the setting, inside the World’s Most Famous Arena. He was 13-of-14 from the free throw line to go along with three assists and four rebounds. That was the most points for a Buckeye against a Top 5 team since Duane Washington had 32 points against Illinois in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Championship game.

Freshman guard John Mobley Jr., starting just his second game, finished with 15 points, three assists and a team-high +28 plus/minus. In his two starts, he has scored 24 points and dished out eight assists with zero turnovers. 

Ohio State Recap | Box Score