Senior point guard Joel Berry did everything he could to will UNC to a huge road victory in Tallahassee on Wednesday night, but the 12th-ranked Tar Heels came up just short in an 81-80 loss to the No. 24 Florida State Seminoles.
Berry scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, but the Tar Heels (12-3, 1-1 ACC) came up just short when Kenny Williams’ desperation half-court heave was deflected as time ran out.
Williams’ shot would have completed a heroic comeback effort from Berry, who keyed a 14-2 run early in the final period which kept it from turning into a blowout in favor of the home team.
The Florida native then scored 10 of UNC’s final 13 points in the game, but his floater with a chance to give the Tar Heels the lead in the final seconds rimmed out.
Florida State (12-2, 1-1 ACC) missed two crucial late free throw attempts to give Williams one last chance, a far cry from the red-hot shooting that built the Seminoles a 51-40 halftime lead.
The backcourt trio of Braian Angola, C.J. Walker and Terance Mann combined to score 55 points for the Seminoles–including eight three-pointers–while consistently finding open shots until the UNC defense tightened up down the stretch.
Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, however, Florida State’s early work was able to hold up and give the Seminoles a signature victory over the defending national champions.
Williams scored just two of his 18 points in the second half for UNC, while junior forward Luke Maye was held to just 14 points and six rebounds–numbers well below his season averages.
No other Tar Heel reached double figures, as Berry nearly won the game by himself in crunch time, leaving UNC with two losses in its past four games.
Up Next:
Another tough road test awaits the Tar Heels on Saturday, as they’ll head to Charlottesville for a game against No. 8 Virginia. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Florida State made nine three-pointers in the first half, on the way to scoring 51 points during the opening period–the most UNC has allowed this season.
- The loss snapped UNC’s seven-game winning streak over Florida State. It was also the Seminoles’ 29th consecutive home victory.
Photo via Steve Cannon (Associated Press)
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