Will the Tar Heels’ astonishing comeback victory over UCLA turn out to be a season-saver?
That remains to be seen but, for sure, it gives them a chance heading into their last non-conference date this Sunday against Campbell followed by 19 straight ACC games that will determine their travel plans in March, hopefully to the Big Dance, but not guaranteed.
Jones Angell called it a “a Christmas Miracle” on the radio broadcast after his favorite team seemed doomed, falling behind the Bruins by 16 points with 12-plus minutes left Saturday at Madison Square Garden. A large Carolina contingent fretted for much of the CBS Sports Classic opener. Even Roy Williams wasn’t smiling as often on TV.
The blue-clad fans had seen them make traditional comebacks this season, as over the years, but their guys did not finish on top except for a late rally against Dayton in Maui. This one seemed less plausible after 18th-ranked UCLA simply outplayed them for the first 28 minutes or so. Hubert Davis was again tinkering with his rotation — but more on that later.
In the first half, the Bruins shot better from the floor, including the arc, and had more points in the paint and off assists, putting Carolina into another steep hole fueled by what would be a season-high 18 turnovers.
Seven straight points by flashy freshman and (current) sixth man Ian Jackson helped reduce UCLA’s halftime lead to eight. That ballooned back to 16 on a fifth 3-pointer by Bruins’ star Tyler Bilodeau, who then opened the door for the Tar Heels by committing his fourth foul. The 6-foot-9 junior was out for more than six minutes while the Heels went on a 20-9 run. By the time Bilodeau returned, UCLA’s lead had been whittled to one point on a step-back jumper by Jackson.
“It was huge when he went to the bench,” Davis said of Bilodeau, who matched his career high with 26 points. “That allowed us to play the small lineup without him in the game. And we were able to get to the basket and into the penalty. We got to the free throw line 35 times. We got to live in the paint and at the free throw line in the second half. We only had seven turnovers to 11 in the first half, and we out-rebounded them. Those are the boxes that we needed to check — and we did that in the second half.”
UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau (34) reacts as North Carolina’s Seth Trimble (7) and Elliot Cadeau (3) celebrate during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the CBS Sports Classic, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in New York. (Photo via AP Photo/Frank Franklin II.)
Davis started his most recent lineup with Ven-Allen Lubin plus the four guards. But Jackson’s increasing minutes and point production (12, third highest on the team) will definitely force the head coach to give him more time and freedom on the floor. Jackson is from New York, but this was his first game at Garden. And he finished with 24 points in 32 minutes (most of the season), making three of the team’s total eight 3-pointers.
“He’s not afraid,” Davis said. “He actually runs toward the lights and playing at North Carolina, you’re on the biggest stage, playing against the best competition. He’s from the Bronx. He never played in the Garden. And so for him to come out there and play the way that he did, I am just really happy for Ian and for our team.”
Ten Tar Heels got into the game, but only five played 20 minutes or more. Davis substituted early and tried various combinations on the court. Nothing seemed to work until Bilodeau went out and Carolina could attack the basket. They wound up out-rebounding the Bruins 34-28 and winning second-chance points by a staggering 13-2.
R.J. Davis still hasn’t returned to the shooting form of his ACC Player of the Year and All-American season. But continuing to play after spraining the thumb on his shooting hand, he made the two free throws that gave the Tar Heels their first real lead (since scoring the first basket of the game) with 13 seconds remaining.
“We’re resilient,” R.J. said after playing 36 minutes while his New York family cheered from the first row behind the UNC bench. “They were all here, so I was more motivated to play well and win.”
Seth Trimble, whose shooting has also cooled off over the last few games, missed 10 of his 12 shots. He did make a key 3-pointer in the comeback and had team-high 7 free throws, while also contributing 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 31 minutes. Elliot Cadeau hit a long ball with nine minutes left and cut the deficit to six points but had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5-5.
Before the ACC schedule resumes at Louisville on Jan. 1, Hubert Davis has ten days (and the Campbell game) to produce a more set rotation. Lubin played only 11 minutes after starting and being replaced early by transfer Ty Claude, who played 13 and did not attempt a field goal. Neither did Cade Tyson, who grabbed 2 rebounds and missed two free throws in seven minutes. Claude started the second half and Jalen Washington came in to finish with 12 minutes, 4 rebounds and a big put-back in the rally. Jae’Lyn Withers got 5 minutes and 2 points, as freshman Drake Powell started and played 24 minutes, mostly at power forward — getting 8 points and 5 rebounds.
Hubert Davis’ conundrum is obvious in terms of getting scoring, rebounding and some rim protection from the big guys who just don’t play big enough. And the guard-heavy rotation now has to make more room for the 6-foot-4 Jackson, who might be the best pure talent on the team. The coach may have to give (and stay with) two or three big men, and let them play long enough to get comfortable, confident and contribute more. But which ones?
The head coach pointed to “the experiences in the past of not getting over the finish line, and being in this situation again, and understanding the importance of the small details. The biggest play of the game was we had a small lineup in there and they boxed out and we rebounded.
“We needed that one stop,” Davis added. “That’s one stop we needed against Michigan State. That’s one stop that we needed with Kansas. That’s one stop we needed with Florida that we didn’t get — but we got it today against UCLA in the Garden. It’s just unbelievable, like the Chapel Hill home-away-from-home game for us. It’s amazing.”
Sending a stunned UCLA team back to California with its second loss of the season after leading for 38 minutes is even more amazing.
Featured image via AP Photo/Frank Franklin II.
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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