An off-balance 3-pointer by point guard Marcus Paige at the buzzer tied No. 24 North Carolina and No. 3 Louisville 44-44 going into halftime of the title game in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.
Paige leads the Tar Heels with 17 points on an 5-for-7 effort from the floor and 2-for-4 from behind the arc. He also knocked down all five free throw attempts.
Russ Smith leads the Cardinals with 22 points, including four 3-pointers.
Despite foul trouble and an invisible James Michael McAdoo, the Tar Heels hung with the Cardinals in the first half. UNC forced nine turnovers and committed eight.
After a hot start by Louisville, the Cardinals finished the half shooting 40.6 percent while the Tar Heels made 51.7 percent of their shots.
Louisville has six 3-pointers to UNC’s two.
Both teams are in a mountain of foul trouble — UNC finishing the half with 12 and Louisville with 14.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
