If Thursday’s blowout win over Virginia Tech showed what UNC is capable of when everything clicks offensively, then Saturday’s 77-62 loss at Miami gave fans a glimpse of what can happen when it all goes wrong.
The Tar Heels opened the game with an 11-2 run, but that’s about the only good thing to happen during a first half that could easily be considered among the worst UNC has ever played under head coach Roy Williams.
Miami came out of the initial media timeout looking like a completely different team—reeling off a 37-11 run to close the half.
UNC (19-4, 7-2 ACC) had no answer on defense for guard Bruce Brown—who finished with 30 points—and no answer on offense for its inability to make shots.
Miami guard Bruce Brown (center) gave UNC all it could handle on Saturday–pouring in 30 points in the Hurricanes’ win. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
In Williams’ 14 years in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels have only had one half where they shot less than the 21 percent it shot on Saturday.
Justin Jackson scored 13 of his team-high 21 points in the second half, as he tried to dig the Tar Heels out of the hole—but there simply wasn’t enough help.
Joel Berry missed all eight of his shot attempts. Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks combined for just 12 points. And Nate Britt—with 10 points—was the only Tar Heel to join Jackson in double figures.
UNC also turned the ball over 14 times—compared to just 12 assists—while being outrebounded for just the third time all year.
The only thing Williams could do from his spot on the sidelines was watch.
“There’s not a lot to say,” Williams told reporters after the game. “It was a big-time kicking of our rear ends is what it was.
“They were much more aggressive—aggressive going to the loose balls, aggressive going to the boards,” he continued. “First two or three minutes, I think we thought it was gonna be easy. Then, they hit us in the mouth and kept doing it for about 40 minutes.”
Following UNC’s opening run, Miami (14-6, 4-4 ACC) switched from man to man defense over to a zone—which was notable because the Hurricanes don’t typically play zone.
With only one day in between games, the Tar Heels already had limited time to prepare for their opponent’s bread and butter—let alone prepare themselves for the unexpected.
UNC has found great success against zone defenses at times this season, but on Saturday the execution just wasn’t where it needed to be.
“I think we rushed every shot after the first three or four possessions because we never had the chance to get the ball inside,” Williams said. “Because the big guys weren’t moving and when they were open, we weren’t doing a good job of getting the ball inside.
UNC forward Justin Jackson (right) again led the team in scoring, but couldn’t find much help. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
“Just because somebody plays zone doesn’t mean you have to throw up a three-pointer every time or wait until the late [shot] clock—things like that.”
Leading up to this game, the Tar Heels’ main concern was their defense.
They ran off seven straight ACC wins with supreme rebounding and perimeter shooting masking some of the woes they’ve been having on the other end. Although Brown was able to have his way, the Hurricanes shot only 41 percent as a team.
Dribble penetration continued to be UNC’s achilles heel, however, as Miami continually got into the lane and drew fouls–scoring 24 of their 77 points at the free throw line.
It was a rare game where the Tar Heels were beaten in nearly every aspect—inside the paint, outside the paint, in the half court and on the fast break.
“I thought Brown was tremendous,” Williams said. “We couldn’t keep him from getting to the basket, then when we backed off he made threes.
“It was one of the worst rebounding games we’ve had all year long,” he continued. “It’s a weird day for me to look down and see another team have 11 fast break points and we have zero. But you have to congratulate Miami.”
This loss by the Tar Heels—ranked ninth in the country coming in– marks the latest big upset in college basketball during a week that has seen more than half of the teams in the top 10 come up short on the scoreboard.
Not only that, but losses by Notre Dame and Florida State on Saturday kept UNC all alone at the top of the ACC standings.
It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to say Williams will likely use this game as a wake-up call. His team is still on track to accomplish what they want to accomplish, but that could easily change if they have similar performances in the future.
“It looked like a different team out there on the court for me,” Williams said. “And they probably looked over at me and thought I was a different coach from what we’ve had recently, too.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will have two days in between games, as they’ll return to Chapel Hill for a home matchup with the Pitt Panthers on Tuesday.
Game Notes:
- UNC is 0-3 this season in games where it gets outrebounded.
- The 12 assists are the second fewest the Tar Heels have had this year.
- It’s also just the second time this year UNC has been held without a fast break point.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines