In a raucous atmosphere at Madison Square Garden, No. 5 UConn outmuscled and outshot No. 9 North Carolina for an 87-76 win in an early season matchup of Final Four hopefuls.
UConn controlled the glass on both sides of the court to limit a Carolina offense that came into Monday's game averaging 86.3 points per game. It made the most of its possessions on a hot night from the floor that ensured there would be no North Carolina rally.
After using it to spark a 22-0 run in a win over Florida State on Saturday, UNC implemented full-court pressure late while trailing by double digits.