In a game where the clank of the rim echoed throughout John Paul Jones Arena for nearly the entire evening, the seventh-ranked UNC men’s basketball team was defeated 56-47 by the No. 5 Virginia Cavaliers—suffering its second consecutive loss overall.
As if UNC’s offensive woes weren’t already under enough scrutiny, this marks the first time since 1948 the Tar Heels (6-3, 1-1 ACC) have failed to score 50 points in back-to-back games. This loss also comes directly on the heels of a 25-point home defeat to Ohio State that represented the team’s largest at the Dean Dome under head coach Roy Williams.
Freshman point guard Cole Anthony led the team with 12 points against Virginia, but made only four of his 15 shots while turning the ball over six times and failing to record an assist. With UNC relying on Anthony for offense so heavily this season, his struggles spelled certain doom against the defending national champions (8-1, 2-0 ACC).
Virginia didn’t have its best game, by any means, but the Tar Heels were unable to take advantage in Sunday’s loss. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Williams said afterwards he doesn’t know exactly why his star rookie has struggled in recent games.
“If I did, there’s an old saying, I’d have already fixed the dad-gum thing,” the coach said. “But I don’t know that I’ve ever had a point guard [have no assists and six turnovers] either. But at the same time, he’s frustrated.
“He’s been our most gifted player,” Williams added. “Come on, he’s averaging whatever it is. Twenty or something like that. So, he’s trying to do too much driving when it’s too crowded. He’s probably pressing.”
The Tar Heels scored only 18 points in the first half and shot just 37 percent from the floor. On top of that, Anthony was responsible for the team’s only make on 14 attempts from three-point range.
What was even crazier about this game, though, was the fact that Virginia shot worse from the floor (33%) and committed more turnovers (13) than UNC.
Free throws and perimeter shooting ultimately decided the game, with UNC going just 12-for-22 from the foul line in addition to its struggles beyond the arc.
The Tar Heels got a boost pre-game in the form of a surprise return from freshman forward Armando Bacot, who scored 11 points after spraining his ankle against the Buckeyes on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough to help get his team out of this current slump.
UNC is sliding quickly and reaching levels of ineptitude on offense that the program hasn’t seen since before the invention of the shot clock. Williams is well-aware of this, as he continues to search for answers before it’s too late.
“This is the most frustrated I’ve ever been,” Williams told reporters. “I don’t think we’re playing basketball the way I want us to play. And that’s probably the most frustrating.
“Pushing the pace, sharing the ball, competing like crazy,” the coach continued. “I’ve been fortunate over the years to be able to find the right buttons to push to get guys to do that. And I haven’t found the right buttons to push to get these guys to do it that way.”
Up Next:
UNC returns home for its next game on Sunday, Dec. 15 when it hosts Wofford at Carmichael Arena instead of the Dean Smith Center at 4 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Freshman guards Anthony Harris and Jeremiah Francis–both of whom have yet to play this season due to knee injuries–each dressed out to play for the first time all season. Harris had a career-high four points, while Francis had a career-high one point.
- UNC’s 18 first-half points tied the lowest mark ever in the Roy Williams era.
- The Tar Heels’ last two games have come against the top two teams in the country in terms of defensive efficiency.
Cover photo via Associated Press
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