Cole Anthony’s contested three-pointer at the buzzer came up short on Saturday night at the Dean Dome, as the Boston College Eagles spoiled Anthony’s return from injury with a 71-70 victory.
Having missed the last 11 games for UNC because of a torn meniscus, Anthony’s return was expected to provide a huge boost to the Tar Heels (10-11, 3-7 ACC) as they looked to make a surprise run over the season’s final 11 games.
The star freshman came off the bench, scored a team-high 26 points and made all 14 of his free throws in his first game back. The increased energy from fans in the arena thanks to Anthony’s performance was palpable.
Looking to capitalize on that energy, Anthony called his own number on the game’s final play.
Boston College—which had just re-taken the lead with 17 seconds remaining thanks to a pair of free throws on the other end—was all over it, however. The Eagles sent multiple defenders at Anthony, forcing an off-balance three-point attempt from the right wing which resulted in a game-ending airball.
What felt like a play that could change the course of UNC’s season ultimately ended up setting the Tar Heels right back where they were before—as a Boston College team with a losing record ended up leaving Chapel Hill with its first victory over UNC in its last 13 tries.
“This week, we stopped practice one day and said if it’s a one-point game or score is tied you want to attack the basket,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said afterwards. “Cole may have even been in with the trainer. I’m serious, that’s how the silly the game is. It’s just one possession.
Roy Williams talks to Cole Anthony on the sidelines during Saturday’s loss to Boston College, a game in which Anthony led the Tar Heels with 26 points in his return from a torn meniscus. (Todd Melet)
“But I wanted to get somebody to get the ball inside,” the coach continued. “I wanted to attack. We wanted to set an early screen. We had one guy come up, and Cole was trying to get Garrison [Brooks] to come up and there was miscommunication. And then we settled for a terrible shot.”
Boston College (11-11, 5-6 ACC) scored on each of its final six possessions in the game, making all the difference in a back-and-forth game that saw seven lead changes over the final three and a half minutes.
Senior guard Derryck Thornton—who began his college career at Duke—scored seven of his 15 points during that span to help the Eagles pull off the victory on the road.
On the other side, UNC’s offense appeared to have many of the same problems it had before Anthony got hurt.
Brandon Robinson, Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks each joined Anthony by scoring in double figures, but there were many times where the offense stagnated as everyone watched Anthony try to create something out of nothing.
The end result was a loss which could have all but eliminated the Tar Heels from contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
“I was very disappointed in Garrison and Armando,” Williams said. “First three or four possessions they were moving aggressively and we were throwing the ball to them. Then they just stopped moving.
“But that’s pointing fingers at individuals,” he added. “I mean, North Carolina shot 36 percent. That’s about what we shoot all frickin’ year. That’s not about any personnel changes. Just that our team’s gotta be coached better and play better.”
Up Next:
UNC has a quick turnaround for its next game on Monday, as it heads to Tallahassee to take on No. 5 Florida State in a game set to tip-off at 7 p.m.
Game Notes:
- This was Cole Anthony’s fifth time scoring at least 20 points this season in just 10 games played.
- Brandon Robinson went down with an apparent ankle injury with 17 seconds left, after picking up a foul contesting a three-pointer by Boston College’s Jared Hamilton. He had to be helped off of the court by teammates.
- UNC outscored Boston College by 11 points during the 26 minutes where Anthony was on the court.
Cover photo via Todd Melet
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