WATCH: Game Highlights | Postgame Press Conference

KANSAS CITY -- Northwestern gave No. 9/8 North Carolina all it could handle in the first half, but the Wildcats eventually succumbed to the Tar Heels, 80-69, in a semifinal of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic on Monday at Sprint Center.
 
Tre Demps led NU with 21 points, while Bryant McIntosh dished out a career-high nine assists.
 
The Wildcats got off to a good start offensively as they hit four of their first five field goal attempts and trailed only by a point, 9-8, three minutes into the contest.
 
A 9-0 run by the Tar Heels extended their lead to 10, but three consecutive 3-pointers by Scottie Lindsey, Aaron Falzon and Tre Demps got Northwestern within one, 18-17, at the under-12 media timeout.
 
The Wildcats eventually tied the game at the 7:08 mark when Alex Olah hit a hook in the lane and was fouled. His free throw knotted the score at 27-27 and gave Olah 8 points.
 
Lindsey, who scored 9 first-half points off the bench, gave Northwestern its first lead of the game when he followed by drilling his second triple of the half.  When Lindsey later converted a three-point play as the Wildcats increased their advantage to 35-29 with four minutes left in the opening half.
 
However, the Tar Heels ended the first half on a 14-1 run to take a 43-36 lead at the intermission.
 
After being limited to 3 points in the first half, Demps caught fire early in the second stanza to keep the Wildcats in the game. The redshirt senior scored 10 points in the first 2:35 of the half as Northwestern closed to within 48-46.
 
UNC would gain some cushion with a 12-2 run that extended its lead to 60-48 with 13 minutes remaining. The Tar Heels' lead eventually grew to 20 before the Wildcats attempted to mount a comeback.
 
McIntosh's three-point play with 6:24 to go got Northwestern within 71-58. A 3-pointer by Demps made it 75-64 with 3:39 remaining, but the Wildcats were unable to get closer than nine the rest of the way.
 
Justin Jackson led six North Carolina players in double figures with 21 points.
 
Northwestern will wrap up play at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when it takes on Missouri. The Tigers fell to Kansas State 66-42 in Monday's first semifinal game.

 

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