Bacot Injured as No. 7 UNC Suffers Worst Home Loss of Roy Williams Era vs. No. 6 Ohio State

An early injury to freshman forward Armando Bacot proved to be too much to overcome for the seventh-ranked UNC men’s basketball team on Wednesday night at the Dean Dome, as the Tar Heels suffered a 74-49 loss to the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes—the worst home loss in the Roy Williams era.

Bacot sprained his ankle just seven minutes into the game and did not return, leaving the Tar Heels extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt—and without one of their only offensive weapons.

That difference was made extremely clear as the game wore on, with freshman point guard Cole Anthony forced to take the majority of the offensive load himself. Anthony had 15 points, but needed 15 shots to do so while no other Tar Heel reached double figures.

In addition, the Buckeyes (8-0) hammered UNC (6-2) on the glass—grabbing 48 rebounds compared to only 32 for the Tar Heels.

Midway through the second half with Ohio State holding on to a 14-point lead, Williams made a loud statement by subbing out his entire starting lineup desperately in search of any kind of spark. That prayer would not be answered, however, as Ohio State continued to have its way no matter who was on the floor.

“If you were watching us play, what the hell were those guys doing that were in the game?” Williams said. “It’s a pretty dadgum easy thing. If you suck out there, somebody should come in for you.”

It was almost like some kind of bizarre alternate universe, where a UNC team couldn’t buy a basket or a rebound—a far cry from the teams fans in Chapel Hill have become accustomed to.

Although Ohio State entered the game undefeated and ranked second in the nation in defensive efficiency, the Tar Heels appeared lost on offense more often than not.

That has become a trend for this group, and not one that seems like its going away any time soon.

With a road game against No. 5 Virginia—another defensive powerhouse—on the schedule this Sunday, there’s not much time for many changes to take place.

Factor in Bacot’s injury, which Williams said will keep him out for a while, and suddenly UNC finds itself with a whole lot more questions than answers.

After the game, Williams was at a loss for words and even had to stop himself from criticizing his team too heavily.

“I’ve never felt so sorry right now as I feel, whether its being thin in the post or whatever,” Williams told reporters. “I’ve got no answers. It’s a frustrating feeling.

“You call a play, and guys can’t even remember,” he continued, before catching himself. “No. That’s blaming them. I’m not blaming them. It’s bad coaching.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels return to the court on Sunday for a huge top-10 battle on the road against defending national champion Virginia, a team currently ranked No. 5 in the nation but also coming off of a 69-40 loss to Purdue on Wednesday–its first of the season.

Game Notes:

Cole Anthony was forced to leave the game briefly late in the first half after getting elbowed on the forehead, causing a cut and significant bleeding.
UNC’s 49 points and 27.4 shooting percentage were each season lows.
Four Ohio State players scored in double figures, led by 18 points from guard Duane Washington Jr.
The game was part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

FINAL BOX SCORE

Cover photo via Todd Melet

Bacot Injured as No. 7 UNC Suffers Worst Home Loss of Roy Williams Era vs. No. 6 Ohio State

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