Senior point guard Joel Berry did everything he could to will UNC to a huge road victory in Tallahassee on Wednesday night, but the 12th-ranked Tar Heels came up just short in an 81-80 loss to the No. 24 Florida State Seminoles.

Berry scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, but the Tar Heels (12-3, 1-1 ACC) came up just short when Kenny Williams’ desperation half-court heave was deflected as time ran out.

Williams’ shot would have completed a heroic comeback effort from Berry, who keyed a 14-2 run early in the final period which kept it from turning into a blowout in favor of the home team.

The Florida native then scored 10 of UNC’s final 13 points in the game, but his floater with a chance to give the Tar Heels the lead in the final seconds rimmed out.

Florida State (12-2, 1-1 ACC) missed two crucial late free throw attempts to give Williams one last chance, a far cry from the red-hot shooting that built the Seminoles a 51-40 halftime lead.

The backcourt trio of Braian Angola, C.J. Walker and Terance Mann combined to score 55 points for the Seminoles–including eight three-pointers–while consistently finding open shots until the UNC defense tightened up down the stretch.

Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, however, Florida State’s early work was able to hold up and give the Seminoles a signature victory over the defending national champions.

Williams scored just two of his 18 points in the second half for UNC, while junior forward Luke Maye was held to just 14 points and six rebounds–numbers well below his season averages.

No other Tar Heel reached double figures, as Berry nearly won the game by himself in crunch time, leaving UNC with two losses in its past four games.

Up Next:

Another tough road test awaits the Tar Heels on Saturday, as they’ll head to Charlottesville for a game against No. 8 Virginia. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

Game Notes:

  • Florida State made nine three-pointers in the first half, on the way to scoring 51 points during the opening period–the most UNC has allowed this season.
  • The loss snapped UNC’s seven-game winning streak over Florida State. It was also the Seminoles’ 29th consecutive home victory.

 

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

Photo via Steve Cannon (Associated Press)

Related Stories
‹
Florida State Hangs on to Top UNC, Ends Tar Heels Three-Game Winning Streak
A three-game winning streak for the UNC men’s basketball team came to an end Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, as the Tar Heels suffered an 82-75 loss to the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State (7-2, 3-1 ACC) managed to hang on to a slim lead throughout the whole second half, despite the Tar Heels making a […]
No. 8 Tar Heels Stay Hot, Snap No. 16 Florida State's Eight-Game Win Streak With 77-59 Blowout Victory
One of the hottest teams in all of college basketball kept it up on Saturday afternoon at the Dean Dome, as the eighth-ranked Tar Heels took down the No. 16 Florida State Seminoles by a score of 77-59—good enough for their 10th victory in their last 11 games. Fresh off a huge 16-point win over […]
Small-Ball Strategy Guides No. 11 UNC to Crucial Victory Over No. 9 Florida State
With freshman center Tony Bradley out with a concussion on Saturday, UNC head coach Roy Williams was left short on big men for the 11th-ranked Tar Heels’ big-time matchup with No. 9 Florida State. It ended up making no difference, as Williams went with a small-ball approach that ultimately carried UNC to a 96-83 win […]
Florida State Hangs On For ACC Semifinal Win After UNC Comeback Falls Short
All season long the UNC men’s basketball team has made a habit out of falling behind early and then having to scramble back in the second half. It worked Thursday night against Virginia Tech and two weeks ago at home against Florida State, but the No. 2 seed Seminoles wouldn’t allow it to happen again […]
UNC's Kessler Shines as Williams Earns 900th Career Victory
Seemingly left for dead after yet another lackluster first half on Saturday at the Smith Center, the UNC men’s basketball team rode the back of freshman forward Walker Kessler to rally for a shocking 78-70 upset over No. 11 Florida State—a win that gave head coach Roy Williams 900 for his career.  Having […]
UNC Falters Down the Stretch, Falls to No. 8 Florida State On the Road
A defensive battle on Monday night in Tallahassee went in favor of the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles, who used a critical stretch midway through the second half to defeat the UNC men’s basketball team by a score of 65-59. The Tar Heels (10-12, 3-8 ACC) led by as many as eight points late in […]
"That Was a Man's Night": Johnson Leads No. 6 UNC Past FSU
Throughout his career in Chapel Hill senior forward Brice Johnson has shown flashes of greatness, but struggled with inconsistency. On Monday night in Tallahassee, Johnson finally showed what it looks like when everything is clicking—tallying 39 points and 23 rebounds to lead the No. 6 Tar Heels past the Florida State Seminoles 106-90. Both numbers […]
Oakes' Outlook: Greensboro Games
It's that time of the year. A return to Tournament Town. My drive down I-40 was met with springtime sunshine filtering through a thin layer of sunshine.
Surging Tar Heels Take On Struggling Seminoles
The No. 15 North Carolina men’s basketball team, 15-4 on the season and 5-1 in the ACC, returns to the Smith Center Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff with 10-9 Florida State.
Trip To The Big Dance Is Likely, But ACC Championship Would Sweeten The Deal
CHAPEL HILL – The 60th ACC men’s basketball tournament tips off Thursday night in Greensboro and for the third time since 2010, North Carolina gets to take day one off. The Tar Heels finished the season 22-9, 12-6 in the first 18-game conference schedule and in third place. That seeding is good enough for a bye […]
›