Wednesday night presented the perfect opportunity for the North Carolina Tar Heels to press a hard reset on their basketball season.
After a 1-2 result in the Maui Invitational, UNC welcomed Alabama to the Dean Dome for the ACC-SEC Challenge. Here was an opportunity for North Carolina to get a signature win – and prove it could play with the country’s best.
The Tar Heels traded blows with the Crimson Tide and closed their gap to single-digits on several occasions, but largely struggled in an 94-79 loss.
Coming into tonight, I thought UNC’s lack of height was going to play the greatest factor. Instead, North Carolina’s guards largely struggled to make shots. RJ Davis, Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau made just 11-of-41 attempts – a combined 26.8 percent.
3-point shooting, an area North Carolina was supposed to upgrade in this offseason, was the greatest disappointment Wednesday night. UNC drained just 5-of-28 attempts, with Ian Jackson (three), Davis (one) and Trimble (one) having the lone makes.
Turnovers destroyed North Carolina in the first half – and sloppy passing cost it in the second half. UNC turned the ball over 13 times, despite have a couple solid give-and-gos in the post.
What frustrates me the most about tonight’s game: the Crimson Tide didn’t play outstanding basketball, but the Tar Heels played poorly.
Alabama guards Mark Sears led all scorers with 20 points. Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway (15 points each), Cliff Omoruyi and Derrion Reid (11 points), plus Grant Nelson (10 points) all finished in double-figures.
Jackson was a bright spot for the North Carolina offense, scoring a career-high 23 points (10-of-17 shooting).
UNC out-rebounded the Crimson Tide 42-40 and even had a 18-15 advantage in paint points, even with its lack of height.
When the buzzer sounded, though, UNC walked off the Dean Dome court with plenty of questions and its third-straight loss.
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