Powered by senior guard Brandon Robinson’s offensive explosion, the UNC men’s basketball team snapped its five-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill by defeating the Miami Hurricanes 94-71—finally moving head coach Roy Williams past Dean Smith on the all-time wins list in the process.
Robinson scored a career-high 29 points to lead the way for the Tar Heels (9-10, 2-6 ACC) who had everything clicking on all cylinders for what feels like the first time in a season where anything that could go wrong has gone wrong to this point.
Freshman forward Armando Bacot added a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Garrison Brooks chipped in 14 points of his own.
Junior forward Garrison Brooks had 14 points against Miami, and was one of three Tar Heels in double figures. (Todd Melet)
UNC also tied its season-high with 10 three-pointers and dished out a whopping 32 assists compared to only 12 turnovers. In addition, The Tar Heels shot a season-high 58 percent from the floor.
Miami (10-9, 2-7 ACC), meanwhile, was without its leading scorer in point guard Chris Lykes, and the Tar Heels took full advantage—building a 24-point advantage by halftime and never looking back on the way to their first win of the new decade.
“It’s easier to guard Miami when that little rascal’s not in there,” Williams said afterwards in reference to Lykes. “So that helps you to say the least. And the shots were going in.
“But I did think some things were going good for us,” he added later. “[Assistant] Coach [Hubert] Davis jumped on them at halftime a little bit because they didn’t have any smiles on their faces.”
The win also ends the drama surrounding Williams and his quest to surpass his mentor on the all-time list, as he finally earned that elusive 880th career victory following his sixth attempt to do so.
Williams has shied away from talking much about his pursuit this season, instead focusing on just trying to get this team on the winning track. In some ways, Saturday actually got two monkeys off the Hall-of-Famer’s back with this group of Tar Heels picking up a win they desperately needed.
“I’d have been just as happy if it had happened four or five games ago,” Williams said. “I really did, guys, I know some people don’t believe me. I didn’t even realize until Jones Angell told me this summer that we were that close [to Smith’s win total].
“I desperately wanted number nine for this team,” he continued. “And I’m being very honest.”
With UNC having struggled so badly since freshman point guard Cole Anthony went out with a torn meniscus, the team has watched its chances at making the postseason dwindle with each passing game.
Saturday’s performance won’t immediately lift the Tar Heels back into contention, but Williams is optimistic that this could provide a much-needed spark for his team’s mindset entering the stretch run through February and March.
“Every game that you win gives you a little more confidence,” Williams said. “And I think we were shook. The lack of confidence, a lot of times, makes you make mistakes because you’re timid. Lack of confidence, a lot of times, makes you miss a shot.
“So, hopefully this’ll give them a little confidence to do some things better too.”
Up Next:
A trip to Raleigh awaits the Tar Heels on Monday, as they prepare for a rivalry showdown at PNC Arena against the rival NC State Wolfpack. Tip-off for that game is set for 7 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Williams is now all alone in fourth place on the all-time wins list, behind only Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim and Bob Knight.
- This was Robinson’s third time scoring at least 20 points in his last seven games played.
- Prior to racking up 32 assists this game, the Tar Heels’ previous high was 19. That number is also tied for the highest UNC has ever posted in the Roy Williams era.
- Graduate transfers Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce each gave UNC nine points off the bench.
Cover photo via Todd Melet
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