Hayley Carter Advances to NCAA Women’s Tennis Final

Although she’s received many different accolades in her illustrious career, UNC women’s tennis star Hayley Carter has yet to win a national championship.

That may be changing soon.

The No. 1 ranked player in the nation, Carter reached the doorstep of her first title on Sunday–defeating No. 8 Sinead Lohan of the Miami Hurricanes 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in their NCAA Tournament Semifinal match at the Michael Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

🏆🎾 TICKET PUNCHED!

Hayley Carter (@UNC_wtennis) is headed to the final after an incredible shot! pic.twitter.com/F4T2MYVso3

— NCAA Tennis (@NCAATennis) May 29, 2016

Carter–a three-time All-American who entered the tournament 44-4 for the Tar Heels in 2016–staged a tremendous rally after finding herself on the brink of elimination midway through the match.

After taking the first set with ease, Lohan took a 5-4 lead in the second–needing to win just one more game to advance.

It was an unusual spot for Carter, the 5-foot-11 junior, as she had yet to even be threatened–let alone play in a three-set match–during her tournament run.

Showing nerves of steel, though, she fought back to win the second set–before cruising to a third set victory that clinched her spot in the next round.

Now, she finds herself just one win away from the biggest moment of her career.

Up Next:

The championship match will pit Carter against No. 2 Danielle Collins of Virginia–a former national champion.

They have played each other three times already this season, with Carter holding a 1-0 record. The other two matches were suspended due to the team match finishing first.

Match Notes:

• It was just Carter’s second three-set win of the year.
• A two-time All-American as a sophomore, Lohan falls in the semifinals this year after bowing out in the quarterfinals as a freshman.

 

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/hayley-carter-advances-to-ncaa-womens-tennis-final

UNC Baseball Swept by Miami; Loses 7-4 in Game 3

For the first time during the 2016 college baseball season the No. 7 UNC baseball team found itself on the wrong end of a series sweep–as the Tar Heels were defeated 7-4 on Sunday by the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes.

Sophomore Brian Miller–who started in left field for UNC–went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a pair of doubles at Mark Light Field in Miami. One of those doubles drove in a pair of runs and put the Tar Heels ahead 3-0 in the top of the second inning.

The Hurricanes simply held strong and waited for the Tar Heels to crack, their go-to plan all weekend long.

Although UNC entered the series 16-2 in games where it scored first, Miami rallied to win after facing early deficits three consecutive times.

The Hurricanes are now 23-4 (10-2 ACC) this season while the Tar Heels drop to 20-7 (6-6 ACC).

Right-hander Jason Morgan (2-3) worked through the fourth inning on Sunday without giving up a run to Miami, but the fifth was a completely different story.

After putting the first three hitters in the frame on base–two walks sandwiched around a single by Carl Chester–Morgan’s day was done early.

The 6-foot-6-inch righty had thrown just four complete innings and 68 pitches, but the walks were his third and fourth of the day–a foreshadowing of the control issues that haunted the Tar Heels in the late innings.

Reliever AJ Bogucki came in to a bases-loaded situation and immediately struck out Miami’s Zack Collins. Bogucki then gave up a two-run double to Jacob Heyward that opened up the dam. A wild pitch brought a third run home, followed later by a sacrifice fly from Johnny Ruiz and an RBI single from Willie Abreu.

Just like that, it was 5-3 in favor of the Hurricanes.

Each team was kept quiet through the sixth and seventh innings, but for a brief moment in the eighth it appeared as if the Tar Heels were about to put together a rally–as they have so many times before this year.

Catcher Cody Roberts singled with two outs, and then came home to score after the next at-bat on Miller’s second double of the day–making it a one-run ball game.

Miami then turned to its star closer Bryan Garcia a little bit earlier than normal. Garcia validated that decision by getting Tar Heel second baseman Eli Sutherland to fly out.

Then the control problems came back for the UNC pitching staff.

The Hurricanes loaded the bases in their half of the eighth against reliever Spencer Trayner–who gave up two hits and a walk. After the Tar Heels turned to lefty Zach Rice in response, Miami simply took ball four and extended its lead.

Freshman Cole Aker took the mound after Rice’s mistake, but had a pitch mishandled behind the plate by Roberts–who did not start the game, entering as a pinch-hitter for Brandon Illies in the top half of the inning.

The passed ball gave Miami all the comfort it would need to get to the finish.

Down three runs and down to their final three outs, the Tar Heels were only able to muster up a two-out single by Brandon Riley–their 11th hit of the afternoon.

Garcia then retired Adam Pate to end the game, and the sweep.

Up Next: 

UNC returns home to Boshamer Stadium for a Tuesday night contest with High Point on April 5 at 6 p.m.

Game Notes:

• Miami’s seven runs came on just seven hits. UNC’s pitchers walked nine batters though.
• Sophomore Zack Gahagan was the only Tar Heel other than Miller to record an RBI–driving in the first run of the game with his second-inning single.
• Morgan’s four innings were the least he’s thrown in a start this season.
• Miami starting pitcher Danny Garcia lasted just 3 2/3 innings. The Hurricanes used five different pitchers on their way to victory.

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/unc-baseball-swept-by-miami-loses-7-4-in-game-3

Miami Slugs Past UNC in Top-10 Series Opener

If UNC needed a reminder of what it takes to truly be among the nation’s elite baseball teams, it most certainly got one Friday night–as the No. 7 Tar Heels fell 10-4 to the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes at Mark Light Field in South Florida.

A participant in last year’s College World Series, the Hurricanes (21-4, 8-2 ACC) and their experienced lineup forced UNC ace Zac Gallen into his toughest start of the year–pounding out 15 hits in the game.

Gallen (3-2) was finally pulled after giving up four runs and six hits in the fifth inning, allowing Miami to break a 1-1 tie and open up a comfortable lead that would hold up the rest of the way.

Over his first five starts of the season, Gallen went at least seven innings in each. In each of his last two–against Georgia Tech last Friday and this game against Miami–he was unable to last longer than five.

In all, the junior surrendered 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings–striking out four hitters while throwing 91 pitches.

Despite defeating Davidson this past Tuesday in a non-conference game, the Tar Heels have dropped three of their last four conference outings and are now 20-5 overall and 6-4 in the ACC.

This shows that the young Tar Heels–while still extremely talented–have met their match in the ACC gauntlet.

Wins are always at a premium in a conference that boasts eight teams in the most recent D1baseball.com Top 25 poll–including UNC’s past two weekend opponents.

After Miami broke through against Gallen in the fifth inning, the Tar Heels experienced another let down in the sixth.

A combination of three relievers–Cole Aker, Chris McCue, and Taylor Sugg–struggled to find the strike zone in the frame, walking three Miami hitters and hitting another.

The end result was three more runs for the Hurricanes–one following a wild pitch by Sugg–with the benefit of just one hit.

Entering the night UNC was 14-0 this season in games where it scored in the first inning.

Freshman designated hitter Brandon Riley, who reached base in all six of his at-bats for the Tar Heels against Davidson, drove in Brian Miller with a double in the first inning on Friday–representing the only run UNC was able to scratch across until the late stages of the night.

Miami tied the game in the second inning, then rode its starting pitcher–junior Thomas Woodrey–through the seventh. Woodrey (3-2) wasn’t spectacular, striking out just two batters, but he was good enough to limit the Tar Heels to only four hits on 102 pitches.

At one crucial moment in the top of the fifth UNC loaded the bases against Woodrey with two outs and the game still tied 1-1. However, Woodrey got Miller to line out to left field–putting an end to the threat immediately.

Not until Woodrey was removed from the game did the UNC bats finally start to break through, but by then it was too late.

Looking for the late boost that has become common this season, UNC shortstop Logan Warmoth drove in a pair of runs of reliever Keven Pimentel in the visiting half of the eighth inning to make it an 8-3 ballgame.

Although that never-say-die attitude has benefited UNC is most games this season, the Hurricanes’ star right fielder, Willie Abreu, quickly put an end to any of those thoughts with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth.

Right fielder Adam Pate picked up an RBI single for UNC off Pimentel in the ninth– however the next batter up, Riley,  flew out to end the contest.

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will have a chance to even up the three-game series with the Hurricanes on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

Game Notes:

• Miami had five players who recorded two hits in the game.
• The Hurricanes also went 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
• UNC had three errors and four wild pitches.

 

FULL BOX SCORE

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/miami-pounds-unc-in-top-10-series-opener

Back On Top: No. 5 UNC Dismantles No. 11 Miami in ACC Showdown

Wednesday night’s shocking loss to Duke left a poor taste in the mouths of UNC basketball fans, players, and coaches alike.

All that can be said now is that game is old news.

Clearly playing with a chip on their shoulder Saturday afternoon at the Smith Center, the No. 5 Tar Heels blew out the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes 96-71 in a game between the top two teams in the ACC standings.

UNC led by as many as 38 points in the second half before finally calling off the dogs, dropping Miami to 21-5 this year with a 10-4 conference mark.

Head coach Roy Williams gave his Tar Heels—now 22-5 with an 11-3 ACC record–the day off after the Duke game, with the expectation that the players would get themselves ready for Miami.

In another shift from how Wednesday night played out, Williams’ plan worked.

“Friday when they came in, I showed them two plays of the Duke game,” Williams said. “I said, ‘Alright that’s all we’re gonna talk about it. It’s behind us now. Our focus with the scouting report and every possession when we’re out there on the court today will be on Miami.”

“We never mentioned the Duke game again,” he continued. “We had a pregame meal today, never mentioned anything except Miami—and the kids did a great job of focusing.”

Senior forward Brice Johnson picked up his ACC-leading 16^th double-double of the season with 16 points and 15 rebounds—leading a balanced effort that saw six Tar Heels reach double figures.

UNC also made nine of its 20 three-pointers, showing a shooting prowess that simply was not there against Duke—when the team went just 1-of-13 from long range.

Miami head coach Jim Larranaga said afterwards, though, he doesn’t think the result had anything to do with what happened earlier in the week.

“Teams lose from time to time,” Larranaga said about the Tar Heels. “As good as they are, and as good as this league is, you’re playing against good teams most every night.

“[UNC] shot the ball great from the perimeter, they rebounded the ball well, and they dominated us,” he added. “That hasn’t happened all year long.”

While it’s true that Miami hadn’t been beaten that badly at any point this season, it’s even more important to recognize that UNC only led by nine points at halftime.

Much of the talk surrounding the team—both since the Duke loss and after last season—has focused on its ability to close out games.

Listening to sophomore wing Theo Pinson, who scored 10 points and provided a number of hustle plays off the bench, it’s clear that the players want nothing more than to change that narrative, and used this game to do it.

“People were saying that last year, we’re basically the same team [this year],” Pinson said. “We’re way more mature than we were last year. Last year we might have came out flat in this game.

“This year, as you see, we came out and punched them in the mouth,” he added.

Although the Tar Heels may have done more than just punch Miami in the mouth, it’s indisputable that the effort gave the Tar Heels their first win over a ranked ACC opponent in four tries this season.

Whether they can build on it heading into tournament play remains to be seen, but Williams said his main focus on Saturday was making sure his players had their minds in the right place—the same reason he went to check on them in the weight room on their day off from practice Thursday.

“I wanted to see if anybody was around so we could talk to make sure they weren’t giving me this ‘Woe is me’ stuff,” the coach said. “Because I’ve tried to make sure I’ve never felt sorry for myself in my whole life.

“So I don’t like that to happen to my team.”

Up Next:

A pair of tough road games await the Tar Heels, as they’ll head to Raleigh on Wednesday for a rivalry matchup with NC State, before heading to face Virginia on Saturday.

Game Notes:

• Williams started Isaiah Hicks over Kennedy Meeks in the forward spot next to Brice Johnson, the first time he’s done that while Meeks has been fully healthy.
• The coach also shot down a rumor started during the CBS pregame show by analyst Doug Gottlieb stating that Williams would retire after the end of the year and hand the team to assistant Hubert Davis. He called Gottlieb’s reporting “sinful.”
• The two plays Williams went over with his team from the Duke game were the final play, and one where Duke center Marshall Plumlee rolled to the basket unimpeded for an easy rebound and putback.
• It was the eighth time in 2015-16 that the Tar Heels scored 90 points. They still have yet to hit the magic 100 mark.
• UNC freshman guard Kenny Williams is OK after taking a nasty fall where his head made hard contact with the floor. He was down for a couple minutes receiving attention from trainers, but ultimately walked off under his own power and watched the rest of the game from the bench.

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

Follow @averytrendel and @WCHLChapelboro on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information on all things UNC sports.

http://chapelboro.com/featured/back-on-top-no-5-unc-dismantles-no-11-miami-in-acc-showdown

Nine Wins and Counting: UNC Mauls Miami 59-21

Earlier in the week, UNC junior wide receiver Mack Hollins rode his bike around campus yelling, “History week!” to all that passed by–in an effort to get fans to come out to Kenan Stadium and watch the Tar Heel football team attempt to make history against Miami.

On Saturday afternoon, history was indeed made–as UNC stomped the Hurricanes 59-21 for its school record ninth win in a row. It was also the seventh win at home this year for the Tar Heels, which matches the record set by the 1980 team, the last group from Chapel Hill to win a league title.

Now, at 9-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play, the Tar Heels are in complete control of the ACC Coastal Division. To clinch it and reach the ACC Championship Game, they’ll need only one more win, or a loss from Pittsburgh.

The loss drops Miami to 6-4 in all games, and 3-3 within the ACC.

“We talked all week, this was history week,” UNC head coach Larry Fedora said after the game. “They had an opportunity to make some history today, and be one of only two teams in 125 years to win seven games on that field.

“It was special, and there was a tremendous burden of responsibility to make sure that happened,” he added.

After trading the ball back-and-forth without scoring on the game’s first four drives, the Tar Heels broke through on their third opportunity when senior quarterback Marquise Williams’ scored on a 10-yard touchdown run near the end of the first quarter.

From there, the floodgates were opened–as the Tar Heels continually capitalized on Miami mistakes, including three turnovers and a handful of untimely penalties.

In his final home game, Williams put together a solid two-way performance–completing 11-of-16 throws for 105 yards, while running for another 101. All-in-all the playmaker accounted for four touchdowns in the game, one through the air to tight end Brandon Fritts, and the other three all on the ground.

“This is an incredible place that I’ll never forget” the quarterback said when he reflected on his time in Chapel Hill afterwards. “It’s emotional for me, and bittersweet at the same time. This place made me who I am.

“I came in as a young child that didn’t know anything, and I’ve matured a lot,” he continued. “I’ve grown and I’ve met a lot of great people–and they’ve changed me. This is the best place ever, man.”

On the drive following Williams’ initial score, sophomore tailback Elijah Hood broke through from the goal line for his 12th touchdown of the year. Just a couple minutes later, UNC fell on a botched snap deep in Miami territory to set up a 25-yard Nick Weiler field goal–a kick that put the home team ahead 17-0.

Hood finished the game with 132 yards on 17 carries, including his one-yard touchdown run.

“We don’t take a backseat to no one,” Hood said. “We don’t fear anybody. We know we can make plays, we’re gonna do what we’re gonna do and you’re gonna have to stop us. I think we can play with anybody, for sure.”

After driving the ball close to the red zone following the three-point try, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya threw a back-breaking interception to senior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer–who ran it all the way down to the opposing 14-yard line.

Williams ran the ball in for a score on the very next play.

Not wanting to be forgotten, junior Tar Heel receiver Ryan Switzer returned a punt 78 yards to the end zone with under a minute left before the break–giving UNC a commanding 31-0 lead.

This came despite the fact that UNC had just 189 total yards of offense in the first half, or three more than Miami had.

In the second half, the Tar Heels came out looking for the jugular–scoring touchdowns on their first four drives after coming out of the locker room.

Miami didn’t score its first points–a 9 yard passing touchdown from Kaaya to Lawrence Cager–until it was already trailing 45-0.

Kaaya finished the game with 326 yards on 24-of-43 passing, as the Tar Heels completely shut down the Hurricanes’ rushing attack–holding them to just 99 yards on 32 attempts.

The tradition all season long for UNC has been to have the backups play the fourth quarter to completion after the starters manhandle the opposition for the first three.

That was again the case in this game.

In the fourth quarter with the lead way out of reach, Miami added a pair of touchdowns–on a pair of one-yard touchdown runs–but that would be it for the visitors with the once proud football tradition.

Tar Heel backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky led a scoring drive of his own, capped off by a three-yard touchdown run from reserve tailback Charles Brunson. But with the game so far gone, the sophomore helped run out the last five minutes of the clock on the team’s final possession.

As the time reached triple zeroes, the UNC players cheered as they ran onto the field to congratulate their opponents–knowing they had just done something nearly unprecedented in their school’s long history.

“This team’s playing as a team,” Fedora said. “Everybody’s there to pick each other up, [saying] ‘I got your back.’ They’re doing the things that a team does.”

The coach paused for a second before adding, “This is a damn good football team.”

Up Next:

Only two games remain on UNC’s regular season schedule. Next week the team will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in what will be the final home game for the Hokies’ legendary head coach, Frank Beamer.

Game Notes:

• UNC’s nine wins are the program’s most since 1997, Mack Brown’s final season as head coach.
• Saturday marked the second straight week UNC scored at least 30 points in the first half.
• Including last week’s 66 point outburst against Duke, the Tar Heels have scored 125 points in their past two games–the most in consecutive games in school history.
• Kicker Nick Weiler has made 16 of his 18 field goal attempts for UNC this year. As a team, the Tar Heels had six all of last year.

http://chapelboro.com/featured/nine-wins-and-counting-unc-mauls-miami-59-21

Trading Places: UNC and Miami Find Roles Reversed in 2015

When the UNC football team takes the field at Kenan Stadium this Saturday against the Miami Hurricanes it will be a matchup of two teams who have each broken tradition in a big way recently.

An afterthought on the college football landscape for many years, the Tar Heels are 8-1 in 2015, and have won eight games in a row—including an undefeated 5-0 record against conference opponents.

At 17^th in this week’s AP Top 25, and 23^rd in the College Football Playoff rankings, this UNC team is heading toward uncharted waters.

Just don’t tell that to senior quarterback Marquise Williams.

“We’re still irrelevant,” Williams said after posting a school-record 524 yards of total offense last week against Duke. “We like that. We like being irrelevant. It keeps a chip on our shoulder, and we like to play hard.

“If we continue to just win football games, eventually we’ll be known.”

Miami comes to Chapel Hill at 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC. But the Hurricanes are no longer the perennial national championship contenders they once were.

Former head coach Al Golden was sent packing just under three weeks ago after a 58-0 loss to Clemson—the worst in the school’s history.

However, interim head coach Larry Scott has led the Canes to back-to-back victories over Duke and Virginia since taking over—leading UNC head coach Larry Fedora to hand out some praise at his weekly press conference.

“They definitely have a lot of talent, and they’re playing well,” Fedora said. “I think Larry [Scott]’s doing a good job with them. They’re gaining confidence as they go. I think they have the quarterback back I believe, and so they’re probably feeling pretty good right now.”

Brad Kaaya, Miami’s talented, 6-foot-4 sophomore quarterback, missed the Duke game with an injury. However, he’s thrown for over 2,000 passing yards and put together a touchdown to interception ratio of 12 to three–as he’s been unquestionably the most consistent offensive player for Miami this year.

Defensively, though, this is a group ranked 75^th in the nation, giving up 410 yards per game. But looking at the film, Williams says they still have athletes good enough to run with anybody–including the explosive Tar Heels.

“Their defense has got a lot of life,” Williams said. “Big up front, very fast. This is a fast Miami team. You know those Florida boys have always been fast. And they come out and compete.”

The Charlotte native continued by recalling the stranglehold the brash, energetic Miami teams of the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s had over young football fans.

“Growing up I was a Hurricane myself,” he said. “It’s gonna be fun to have the opportunity to play against those guys.”

Anyone watching this year has noticed that UNC is the new team on the block making all kinds of noise with its athletic exploits.

As the seniors head into this, their final home game, fifth-year offensive guard Landon Turner reflected on what it’ll mean to play underneath the Kenan Pines one final time–knowing the ACC Coastal Division can be won on Saturday if the Tar Heels beat Miami and Duke beats Pittsburgh.

“I feel comfortable enough with my maturity that I’ll be able to handle that,” Turner said about the emotions surrounding this weekend. “If anything it’ll probably give me a little more motivation, or give me an extra edge—just because I do know after this it’s my last game here.

“It’s been five years, and it’s been a great ride,” he added. “So I wanna go out and leave a legacy.”

Whether they’re ready or not, the Tar Heels are relevant again on the national scene.

The Hurricanes are fighting to get back to that point, and can speed things up by winning out and stealing the Coastal for themselves.

So if Turner and company want to be remembered as the class that re-wrote the narrative on Carolina football, they can start by beating Miami on Saturday.

Broadcast Information:

The game will be carried live on WCHL’s airwaves, and will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Game Notes:

• UNC is looking to go 7-0 at Kenan Stadium for the first time since 1980, which was also the last time the Tar Heels won the ACC Championship.
• Miami has won the last two meetings between the schools–winning 27-23 in 2013 and 47-20 last season.
• Sophomore cornerback MJ Stewart, who was suspended against Wake Forest and Virginia, leads the ACC in passes defended (13) for the UNC pass defense, which ranks third in the nation in yards allowed (158 per game).

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/trading-places-unc-and-miami-find-roles-reversed-in-2015

UNC Refuses to Let Hurricanes Sweep Through Chapel Hill

If the UNC baseball team learned anything from its two heartbreaking losses to Miami on Friday and Saturday, it was that no lead can ever be called “safe” against top competition.

Unless that lead is stretched to eight runs, which is where the #22 Tar Heels had it at one point in the series finale Sunday, using a dominant offensive output to defeat the #21 Hurricanes by a score of 10-3 inside the friendly walls of Boshamer Stadium.

By avoiding the sweep, Carolina raises its record to 16-11 overall and reaches the .500 mark in the ACC, at 6-6. Miami remains in sole possession of first place in the ACC Coastal Division, but drops to 8-4 in league play (20-9 overall).

The scene in Sunday’s first inning seemed to be going the same as it went the day before–sunlight pouring down from the sky, UNC’s starting pitcher cruising, and the bases loaded for the Tar Heel batters with just a single out.

This time, though, the boys in light blue would find a way to put some runs on the board.

“We were so close the last couple games,” Coach Fox says, “But we got off to a good start today, loaded the bases again in the first inning, and finally got more than one run, so that was huge for us. And having Benton on the mound, that was what we needed.”

A sacrifice fly from freshman Zack Gahagan and an RBI single from Tyler Ramirez, off Miami starter Enrique Sosa (3-3), put the Tar Heels ahead by two after a first inning where they banged out five hits.

After a perfect second inning on the mound from Benton Moss (4-0), the Carolina bats went right back to work in their half of the frame, tacking on two more runs in the same fashion. Juniors Skye Bolt and Landon Lassiter each had an RBI to give their head coach the type of lead he said the team should have built yesterday, when they had the same opportunity.

A throwing error by UNC shortstop Logan Warmoth allowed Miami’s Willie Abreu to reach first as the lead-off man in the third, giving the visiting team their first base-runner of the game. The play appeared to be costly, with the Hurricanes able to scrape across a pair of unearned runs against Moss to cut the lead in half.

However, the Tar Heel bats were not ready to cool down just yet.

First baseman Joe Dudek hit a sharp liner right down the third-base line to drive in two runs with two outs in the bottom of the third–ending the day on the mound for Enrique Sosa, and kicking off what would eventually turn into a huge five-run inning. Miami reliever Derik Beauprez came in and walked three batters in a row, including one to Landon Lassiter with the bases loaded, which set up Zack Gahagan, who drilled a two-run single to right-field, giving him his second and third RBI of the day.

“Joey Dudek and the big inning, with two outs, 1-2 [count], gets a double and starts that five run inning, I think that sealed the deal right there,” Benton Moss says about the game-changing moment.

Gahagan would later increase his RBI total to four with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth, bringing UNC’s score into double digits.

“We were just locked in,” says Gahagan about the difference between today’s game and the previous two losses, with the freshman adding that “We really had a good amount of focus this weekend, but just couldn’t get some balls to fall early on in the series, but today obviously we locked in and got those runs in.”

Leaving the game after allowing a single to begin the Hurricane half of the seventh, Moss was done with another fantastic outing in this just his second start back from injury. All throughout, Moss never let the Hurricanes get comfortable at the plate. The senior from Enfield, North Carolina worked six strong innings, surrendering just one earned run on six hits, and also struck out four on 96 pitches.

Miami was able to scratch across another run against a combination of three Tar Heel relievers in the seventh–with a sacrifice fly by yesterday’s hero, Zack Collins, but ultimately the early Carolina surge would prove to be too much for the Hurricanes to come back from, as they couldn’t muster anything else the rest of the way.

One of only two seniors on UNC’s roster, Moss says he’s not discouraged by losing the series, pointing to the talent level on the team as a big reason why he feels this is a squad to be reckoned with in the coming weeks.

“We’ve got so much talent in the locker room, and I’m not afraid to say it,” says Moss, “I think we’ve had a chance to win every single series that we’ve played, and that’s no BS. I think that’s the truth. We’ve got all the guys in there, they just know they’re one swing of the bat away, or one error, or one pitch away, they’re right there.”

Up Next:

A week on the road awaits the Tar Heels, as they’ll travel to face Elon on Tuesday at 6:30 P.M., before heading to Clemson for their ACC weekend series.

Game Notes:

• Benton Moss now has 290 strikeouts for his career, moving him into fourth on the UNC all-time list.
• All five runs scored by UNC in the third inning came with two outs on the board.
• Miami third baseman David Thompson extended his hitting streak to 18 games with his single in the seventh inning off reliever Trevor Kelley.
• All-time, Miami leads the series with North Carolina with a 34-26-1 record against the Tar Heels after this weekend.

FINAL BOX SCORE

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/unc-refuses-to-let-hurricanes-sweep-through-chapel-hill

Carolina Rides Brice Johnson To Big Road Victory

The No. 15 North Carolina men’s basketball team gutted out a 73-64 victory over Miami Saturday afternoon inside the BankUnited Center to improve to 20-9 overall and 10-6 in ACC play.

With the loss, the Hurricanes dropped to an 18-11 mark on the season and 8-8 tally in league action.

***Listen to the story***

Carolina rode a stellar 22-point outing from junior forward Brice Johnson to escape Miami with the critical ACC road win with only two games remaining on the regular season docket.

Both Johnson and junior forward J.P. Tokoto turned in double-doubles while junior guard Marcus Paige knocked down three shots from behind the arc to finish with 15 points.

With Miami junior guard Angel Rodriguez seeing limited action with a right wrist injury, the Hurricanes received standout performances from fellow classmates Sheldon McClellan and Ivan Cruzuceda, who both finished with 11 points.

But it was Carolina’s dominance on the boards – grabbing 42 rebounds to Miami’s 28 – that allowed the Tar Heels to maintain the lead for 37 minutes of the contest.

“I was really pleased with our guys. We had some mistakes, particularly late in the first half. Some of them got a negative look on their face. But they paid attention at halftime to what we talked about, and in the second half, I thought we were pretty doggone good,” UNC head coach Roy Williams says.

***Listen to Roy Williams’ postgame remarks***

The Tar Heels came out of the gates strong in Coral Gables, pushing out to a 10-4 lead less than five minutes into the contest. Getting Paige involved early was the most positive aspect of the early proceedings for Carolina.

The Hurricanes matched UNC’s scoring charge with solid production of their own, but with 9:56 to play in the opening 20 minutes, the visiting team held a 22-16 advantage.

But Carolina suffered a more than four-minute scoring drought that allowed Miami to go on an 8-0 run that trimmed UNC’s lead down to a mere 1 point at 22-21 with 6:01 remaining before halftime.

At intermission, though, the Tar Heels were clinging to a 32-30 edge on 12-29 shooting.

Out of the locker room, a couple quick scores in transition by Jackson and Johnson helped push Carolina’s lead out to 38-33 with 17:05 to play.

With 15:56 on the second half clock, Miami’s McClellan picked up his fourth foul and promptly took a seat on the bench.

It was Johnson who served as Carolina’s offensive sparkplug, while big man Kennedy Meeks continued to struggle to find his footing in the interior. But a flurry of threes from Miami’s Cruzuceda flipped the dynamic of the contest and gave the Hurricanes the 48-47 lead with 11:05 to play.

A big three-point make by freshman guard Joel Berry broke a 50-all deadlock. At the under-eight media timeout, UNC held on to a narrow 53-50 advantage.

Johnson’s emphatic play rolled on down the stretch and with contributions from Paige and Tokoto added in, Carolina was more than able to hold off a spirited effort from Miami.

Next up for the Tar Heels comes another road encounter – this time with the struggling Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta Tuesday evening.

FINAL BOX SCORE

http://chapelboro.com/unc-mens-basketball/carolina-rides-brice-johnson-to-big-road-victory

Scouting Report: Miami Coach Jim Larrañaga

WCHL’s Matt Oakes had the chance to chat with Miami men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga as his Hurricnaes get set to welcome the Tar Heels to the BankUnited Center Saturday afternoon.

The two discuss the do-or-die scenario facing  bubble teams like his own, the competitiveness of coaching in the ACC, the special challenges Carolina presents and the special atmosphere that will await UNC on Senior Day at Miami.

***Listen to the conversation***

http://chapelboro.com/unc-mens-basketball/scouting-report-miami-coach-jim-larranaga

Slumping Tar Heels Head To Miami In Hopes Of Recovery Effort

The No. 15 North Carolina men’s basketball team, 19-9 overall and 9-6 in ACC action, hits the road to sunny south Florida to take on the 18-10 Miami Hurricanes Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels will desperately be looking to get back on track after dropping five of their last seven games.

***Listen to the story***

If there’s such a thing as a must-win game, Saturday’s tilt at the BankUnited Center is one of those.

The Hurricanes, winners of three of their last four contests, are fighting to secure their place on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble while the Tar Heels need to build up their shaken confidence here on the doorstep of the postseason.

Likely most concerning for UNC head coach Roy Williams has been the late-game miscues that have repeatedly cost his squad vital victories.

The end-game woes all started with the collapse at Louisville, continued in the disappointment at Duke and stung most recently in the N.C. State loss.

“Silly poise. No poise. I’ve never had a play where our big guy shoots a three-point shot, unless he could really shoot threes. Kennedy [Meeks] just didn’t know what to do so he shot it. We had a set play called twice in a row and didn’t execute that so that’s the Coach’s fault,” Coach Williams says.

Junior forward Brice Johnson, who struggled mightily Tuesday night against the Wolfpack with a 1-6 shooting mark, says the Tar Heels need to leave their struggles behind them and focus on the here and now.

“That was awful. We got to do better. We got to be ready to play from the tip. We didn’t. They came here and beat us. We can’t let that happen, but it did. We got to bounce back from it. We’ve been in this predicament before,” Johnson says.

Coach Williams says his team needs to get tougher and take it to opponents at the rim for a full forty minutes going forward.

“Pump fake and go at him strong. Don’t pump fake 17 times and then try to make the softest shot in the history of basketball. You got to be tough. It’s a physical game. You’ve got to be strong,” Coach Williams says.

UNC’s toughness will likely be put to the test Saturday against Miami head coach Jim Larranaga’s bunch. Junior guards Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez are capable of taking over a game.

Last time out, Rodriguez did just that, running over the rival  FSU Seminoles with ruthless authority to the tune of 25 points.

UNC would do well to get its scoring leader, junior guard Marcus Paige, back into the flow. Coach Williams says the rest of the team, though, needs to do a better job of helping him out.

“He’s an emphasis for the other team. We’ve got to do a better job of getting him open. He’s got to do a better job moving, but other guys got to be able to step up and make a shot every now and then too,” Coach Williams says.

Paige says it’s not the defense that’s got him concerned. But with nights like Tuesday, where the Tar Heels shot a mere 35 percent from the floor and totaled a Smith Center low in points, the offense is another issue altogether.

“We need to play better. We were getting decent shots, but we weren’t giving them a chance to get us layups. In the second half we got a bunch of layups, got back in the game and made it interesting, and then we kind of deviated from that again. We need to play better offensively. Offensively, we just kind of stunk it up,” Paige says.

Despite the discouraging slide of late, UNC remains in the hunt for that coveted No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament. But it can ill-afford a slip-up in the Sunshine State.

http://chapelboro.com/unc-mens-basketball/slumping-tar-heels-head-to-miami-in-hopes-of-recovery-effort