It was a night of emotional highs and lows that eventually left Carolina fans speechless.
A three by Marcus Paige with seconds left released a wave of energy into the crowd at Top of the Hill. But that wave came crashing down hard with a buzzer beater for the win from Villanova’s Kris Jenkins.
James Smith isn’t looking forward to reliving those final moments.
“With the three Villanova made at the end, it was theirs,” said Smith, “I just know I’m going to have to watch that replay for decades.”
Spencer Howard was at Sup Dogs on Franklin Street and for him the emotional roller coaster at the end of the game was beyond words.
“The place went insane, I can’t even explain it to you in words, you would need to see the video of it,” said Howard, “We were all so hype we thought it was meant to be, like it’s going to go to overtime and then four seconds left, words can’t even describe the heartbreak we just experienced.
Howard said the crowd was reaction was across the board.
“Honestly I’ve never seen a more depleted group of people before,” said Howard. “It was heartbreaking that final shot.”
Roy Williams has said how special this Tar Heel team has been to him.
Tar Heels fans lined up to get into various bars on Franklin Street hours before the game, even the night before. The diligence of the Carolina fan base wasn’t rewarded this time but the passion for basketball in Chapel Hill isn’t going anywhere.
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