Top-ranked Northwestern defeated #2 North Carolina 14-11 on Sunday, using a relentless second-half surge to pull away from the 19-2 Tar Heels and cement the Wildcats' 19-3 campaign as the gold standard of the sport.
The difference was depth and finishing — Northwestern generated enough quality possessions to build a three-goal margin and never let the Tar Heels within striking distance down the stretch. The Wildcats' offense clicked when it mattered most, and the defense absorbed every push from a North Carolina attack that had carried the Heels to 19 wins on the year.
For Northwestern, the win sends a clear message heading into the postseason: the #1 team in the land is peaking at the right time, and every opponent left on the schedule now has to figure out how to survive 60 minutes in Evanston.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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