A lack of offensive firepower presented itself once again for the No. 5 UNC men’s basketball team on Wednesday night against Elon at the Smith Center—as the Tar Heels trailed at halftime before eventually recovering enough to earn a 75-61 victory.
It was UNC’s pronounced size and talent advantage on the inside that ultimately allowed the Tar Heels to come out on top against a scrappy Elon team (2-3) intent on delivering the upset.
Freshman forward Armando Bacot had a career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the team in both categories, while his partner-in-crime—junior Garrison Brooks—had 14 points and six rebounds. Of the Tar Heels’ 75 points, 46 were scored inside the paint as the team struggled again to make shots from the perimeter.
The duo of Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks (pictured) proved to be too much to handle for Elon in the paint. (Todd Melet)
On three-point attempts, UNC was just 3-for-19. In addition, the Tar Heels converted on only 14 of their 23 shots from the free throw line.
This allowed Elon—which received a majority of its scoring from threes and free throws—to build a 33-32 halftime lead.
UNC opened the second half on a 17-2 run to take the lead for good, but Elon threatened down the stretch by pulling within seven with a little over two minutes to play.
The Tar Heels are now 4-0 to begin the season, but have yet to score 80 points in a game. Never before in head coach Roy Williams’ 17-year tenure has UNC gone so long without doing so.
“I’m tired of you guys saying, ‘He’s never happy,’” Williams said, in reference to himself. “During a timeout, I asked Garrison, ‘Have you ever seen me happy during a game before?’ He said, ‘Yes sir.’
“I have been,” the coach added. “And it’s easy. Play well. Then I’m happy. But, no. We were not good [tonight].”
Freshman point guard Cole Anthony has been the primary source of the Tar Heel offense to this point in the year, but he has also struggled with his shot.
Anthony nearly posted a triple-double against Elon on Wednesday, finishing with nine points, eight assists and 10 rebounds. However, he made just four of his 14 shots from the field, missed all five of his attempts from three-point range and accounted for four of UNC’s 10 turnovers.
For the season, Anthony is now shooting only 38 percent overall despite having great numbers in every other statistical category.
“I’ve seen some really good players, and he’s got a chance to be one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Williams told reporters about Anthony. “But I also know when good players stink. And that was about it for half the game tonight.
“Now he competes like crazy,” Williams added. “So, he’s always gonna do some good things to help you. But tonight wasn’t one of his best nights.”
The emergence of Bacot as another top option behind Anthony will be something to keep an eye on moving forward, along with the eventual return of senior guard Brandon Robinson from a sprained ankle.
A trip to the Bahamas over Thanksgiving for three games against top-level competition awaits the Tar Heels. The real question is whether or not they’ll be able to find their missing sparks on offense while they’re down there.
“Where we are, 4-0, but I told them big leagues are starting right now,” Williams said. “We were more gifted, more blessed than Elon was. Their guys outplayed us, outcoached us in the first half. But the stuff starts now, that every game if we play poorly, we’re gonna lose.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels return to the court in search of their fifth straight victory on Wednesday, Nov. 27 when they take on Alabama in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas. Tip-off for that game is set for 2:30 p.m.
Game Notes:
- UNC’s massive advantage inside also showed itself in the rebounding margin, with the Tar Heels grabbing 56 boards compared to only 25 for Elon.
- The Tar Heels led by as many as 16 points early in the second half.
- Elon received 36 points on 12 made three-pointers, and also went a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line. All of the free throws came in the first half.
Cover photo via Todd Melet
