Collin Chandler had 12 points and Denzel Aberdeen had 10. Malachi Moreno had eight points and nine rebounds.
Kentucky (5-3) made just 1 of 13 (7.7 percent) from three-point range in the game, while UNC made 6 of 20 (30.0 percent). The Tar Heels controlled the boards, with 41 rebounds compared to just 30 for the Cats. UNC held a significant advantage in second-chance points, winning that category 22-5.
North Carolina (7-1) scored first, but UK responded with layups from Chandler and Oweh to lead 4-2. The Tar Heels would tie the game before the Cats got baskets from Oweh, Chandler and Kam Williams to make it 10-4.
The Tar Heels answered with a 9-1 run to lead 13-11 before Brandon Garrison scored to tie the game. UNC took the lead back on a three before an Andrija Jelavic bucket got the Cats within one. After North Carolina scored again, a Jasper Johnson layup made it 18-17. Carolina would score again to lead 20-17.
Kentucky scored the next six points, on a Moreno layup, on Oweh breakaway dunk and a Aberdeen layup, making it 23-20 UK with 7:28 left in the first half. The Tar Heels scored the next six points before Aberdeen scored consecutive baskets to give UK a 27-26 advantage. UNC took the lead back on the next possession.
UK got baskets from Chandler and Jelavic to lead 31-28, but the Tar Heels scored the last three points of the half and the game was tied 31-31 at the break.
The Cats scored the first four points of the second half on an Oweh dunk and two Aberdeen free throws. After Carolina got on the board, UK got two free throws from Chandler and an Aberdeen bucket in the lane to lead 39-33. The Tar Heels responded with a 7-2 run to get within one, 41-40.
A Moreno dunk stretched the lead to three, but the Tar Heels scored four in a row to lead 44-43. UK then got a bucket by Jelavic, a three from Garrison and a free throw by Oweh to give UK a 49-44 advantage. Carolina got a three-point play to get within two before two Chandler free throws gave Kentucky a 51-47 lead with 10:44 to play.
After a UNC basket, Trent Noah hit two free throws and UK led 53-49. The Tar Heels would make one free throw and Moreno responded with one of his own and Oweh followed with a pair to give the Cats a 56-50 lead.
Carolina scored the next six to tie the game at 56-56. A Moreno free throw gave UK the lead, but UNC scored on the next possession to lead 58-57.
Oweh responded with a basket, UK’s first in over 10 minutes, to give the Cats a 59-58 advantage. After a UNC three, UK got an Oweh free throw and two free throws from Moreno to lead 62-61. The Tar Heels hit a three to lead by two, but Chandler tied the game with 36 seconds remaining.
UNC took a 66-64 lead with 16 seconds remaining. And the Cats could not convert on their possession.
Kentucky returns to action on Friday, facing Gonzaga at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ESPN2.