Ranking UNC's Top 10 Games of Last Season: No. 6

Continuing the countdown of the top ten best games we saw from last season's Tar Heels, we take a look at one of the closest games of the season. In a game that went down to the wire, senior Seth Trimble was the one to step up in order to defend North Carolina’s undefeated home court record.

No. 6 - North Carolina vs. Louisville

Coming into the highly anticipated home court matchup against the No. 24-ranked Louisville Cardinals, North Carolina was without their star forward in Caleb Wilson.

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) and the bench react in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, the Heels stepped up big time to fill his absence, as Seth Trimble took over this matchup, scoring a career high 30 points to down the Cardinals.

Louisville, led by star freshman Mikel Brown, did everything it could to make this one a game. After a back-and-forth first half, North Carolina was able to take a one-point lead going into halftime, 39-38.

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) on the court in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To open the second half, the Heels were able to put together quite a run, going 17-2 over the first six minutes of the half, capitalized by a Seth Trimble fastbreak dunk.

Louisville wasn’t out yet, though. Behind Mikel Brown’s 24 points on the night, the Cardinals were able to claw their way back in, cutting North Carolina’s lead to just three with 12.3 seconds to go, with Trimble shooting two at the free-throw line.

Trimble capitalized on his trip to the line, making both free throws and extending the game to two possessions. Mikel Brown didn’t go down easy, however, hitting a desperate three with 1.2 seconds left to pull Louisville within two at 76-74.

Louisville was able to foul freshman Derek Dixon with 0.8 seconds left, sending him to the line with a ton of pressure. After a crucial miss from his first attempt, Dixon made his second shot, putting the Heels up three, forcing the Cardinals to need a miracle shot to send the game to overtime.

Luckily for the Tar Heels, Louisville was not able to get a shot off in time after a desperate three-point attempt from the right wing, allowing North Carolina to escape, 77-74.

Career Night for Seth Trimble

Seth Trimble remained the difference maker in this one, putting up a career night with 30 points and four assists. Henri Veesaar and Luka Bogavac also pulled their weight, each putting up 12 points on the night, and propelling North Carolina to survive at home.

North Carolina only shot 54% for the night, but forced Louisville to shoot 39%. One stat that may have been the reason for the Heels' success was the number of points scored in the paint. They bested the Cardinals in this category 40-24, highlighting the effectiveness Trimble had when attacking downhill.

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