Seth Trimble Shines in North Carolina's Impressive Win Over Louisville

The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off an impressive win over the Syracuse Orange this past weekend. Monday presented a daunting challenge against the Louisville Cardinals, who are playing their best basketball of the season.

First Half

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Ryan Conwell (3) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It was an electric start, as both teams shot over 50 percent from the field. Seth Trimble started right where he left off against Syracuse, connecting on his first two shot attempts. Meanwhile, Louisville guard J'Vonne Hadley made his first three shots, leading the Cardinals with seven points. Louisville led 14-11 with 14:59 left in the first half.

The Cardinals would go on a 9-3 run, as Mikel Brown Jr. jumped to life with two threes. Louisville opened the game shooting 5-of-11 from three-point range. Trimble was keeping North Carolina within striking distance with nine points. The Cardinals lead 23-16 heading into the under-12 timeout.

Despite shooting 11-of-17 from the field, the Tar Heels still trailed 27-25 heading into the under-eight timeout. Rebounding was a major factor in the first 12 minutes, as the Cardinals were winning the battle 9-6, including 4-1 in the offensive rebounding department.

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard J'vonne Hadley (1) and North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) fight for the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After falling behind by 10 early, North Carolina exploded, outscoring Louisville 22-15 during that stretch. It was a broken record, but Trimble continued to carry North Carolina with 14 points while shooting 6-of-9 from the field. However, Brown Jr. and Hadley combine for 23 points while collectively shooting 9-of-16 from the field. The Cardinals led 38-35 with 2:20 remaining in the first half.

North Carolina closed out the first half on a 4-0 spurt, taking a 39-38 lead into halftime. Trimble was instrumental in the first half with 16 points while shooting 7-of-10 from the field.

Second Half

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina opened the second half on a 10-2 run, which included made threes by Derek Dixon and Luka Bogavac. The Tar Heels forced Louisville to miss their first six shots of the second half, pushing North Carolina's lead to 49-40 with 15:19 left in the contest.

The Tar Heels were forcing the Cardinals to play at a methodical pace, which limits their three-point volume, and that has been the driving force for Louisville's success this season. North Carolina led 56-40, as the Cardinals went through a 1-of-17 shooting stretch. However, Louisville orchestrated a quick 7-0 spurt, forcing head coach Hubert Davis to burn a timeout with 11:30 on the clock. North Carolina still led 56-47.

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) scores in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It was clear who the better team was on Monday night, and that was the Tar Heels, who continued to physically dominate the Cardinals on both ends of the floor. Heading into the under-eight timeout, North Carolina leads 63-54.

Louisville refused to go away, staying within a single-digit deficit, but the Tar Heels' defense continued to keep them afloat. With 2:26 remaining, North Carolina led 72-64. The Tar Heels' struggles at the free throw line caused an uneasy ending to the game, but it was a fitting conclusion to the game, as Trimble hit two free throws to reach 30 points.

Final: North Carolina 77, Louisville 74

Please follow us on X when you click right HERE! Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right HERE!

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Tar Heels when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW