No. 7 Michigan Hammers No. 11 UNC 84-67 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Following a fast start on Wednesday night in Ann Arbor, the 11^th-ranked UNC men’s basketball team fell apart on both offense and defense in an 84-67 blowout loss to the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines.

The Tar Heels opened up a 10-point lead less than eight minutes into the game, but allowed Michigan to rally back for a 39-35 advantage at halftime.

From there is where the wheels really fell off for UNC, as the Wolverines—who shot nearly 60 percent for the entire game–were able to consistently get any shot they wanted, and ultimately built their lead as high as 22 points during the second half.

Leading the charge was standout freshman Ignas Brazdeikis, who had a game-high 24 points for Michigan. Charles Matthews added 21 points and seven rebounds in a game that will obviously send the Tar Heels going back to the drawing board.

Michigan held UNC to a season-low 67 points on Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

UNC head coach Roy Williams benched his entire starting five midway through the second half once Michigan got the lead up to 20—hoping to send a message that resonates throughout the rest of the season.

“They played a heck of a lot better than we did,” Williams told reporters afterwards. “They coached a heck of a lot better than we did. It’s very frustrating right now. As a coach, I feel like I’ve done the worst job with this team in 31 years as a head coach. But give Michigan the credit.”

Defense was the main problem area, but the offense didn’t do much to help either. It was the lowest scoring output of the young season for UNC, which shot just 40 percent from the floor.

Freshman point guard Coby White led the team with 12 points, while seniors Luke Maye and Kenny Williams each had 11. Garrison Brooks also had 10 points to give the team four players in double figures.

With the clock winding down in the second half, the Tar Heels managed to reel off an 11-0 run to pull within 11 points on the scoreboard but Michigan was able to pull it back together and wrestle the momentum away once again in front of its raucous home crowd.

Needless to say, it was a performance that was less than ideal for UNC—a team that has now lost two of its last three games, and will play two of its next three outings against other opponents ranked inside the top 10.

“Guys, I’ve got no positive things,” Williams said, angrily. “If you want some positive things you better go out and find somebody on the street. Because I’ve got no positives for me. And no positives for my team.”

Up Next:

A return home to the Smith Center awaits the Tar Heels, who will host UNC-Wilmington–led by former UNC assistant C.B. McGrath–on Dec. 5 at 9 p.m.

Game Notes:

This was UNC’s first game ever played in Ann Arbor.
Michigan converted on just 11 of its 23 free throw attempts.

FINAL BOX SCORE

Cover photo via Associated Press

No. 7 Michigan Hammers No. 11 UNC 84-67 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

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