Through 30 minutes of fast-paced play, the No. 7 North Carolina men's basketball team trails No. 6 Kentucky, 56-51, in the CBS Sports Classic at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Here is what to know from the first-half action.
Malik Monk thrives
The first half was the Malik Monk show, and the Tar Heels could only watch.
The first-year shooting guard led the Wildcats with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, pulling up at will against a reeling UNC defense. The five-star recruit was Kentucky's only 3-point threat in the opening period — going 4-for-8 from behind the line — but the Tar Heels had no answer for Monk, a likely lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.