UNC head coach Roy Williams hit a major milestone on Monday night at the Smith Center, as his Tar Heels held on to defeat Yale 70-67 to give him his 879th career victory—a win that ties him with his mentor, Dean Smith, on the all-time list.
It was an emotional night for Williams, who began his career as an assistant for Smith back in 1978, before ultimately going on to become one of the sport’s most successful coaches in his own right. UNC hasn’t had the type of success early on this season that Tar Heel fans have come to expect, but even that couldn’t take away from what Monday’s win meant.
Williams was honored on the court after the game, and struggled to hold back tears as he reflected on a conversation he had with Smith’s son, Scott.
“Scott Smith came out and said one thing, and I think he’s right,” Williams wistfully told reporters after the game. “He said Dad would be really happy. And I think he would be.”
On the court, Monday’s win marks the Tar Heels’ second victory in a row and it appears Williams’ team this year still believes it can find a way to avoid having the program miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
While UNC’s offense still consists mostly of second chance opportunities at the rim, missed jumpers from the mid-range and missed three-pointers, the team has still managed to find ways to win with timely baskets, defense and rebounding.
On Monday against Yale, the Tar Heels (8-5) were led by a career-high 20 points and five three-pointers from senior guard Brandon Robinson to go along with 14 points off the bench from Justin Pierce and the third double-double of the season for Garrison Brooks—who finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
After holding a slim halftime lead, UNC allowed Yale (10-4) to go ahead early in the second half but responded with a 17-2 run to take the lead back for good.
The Bulldogs pulled within three points in the final seconds, but a missed three-pointer at the buzzer by Azar Swain allowed the Tar Heels to hang on for the win. Although Yale isn’t typically thought of as a basketball powerhouse, the Bulldogs are a trendy preseason pick to win the Ivy League and were coming off of a win over an ACC opponent in Clemson.
“B-Rob was something, he made some big-time threes for us,” Williams said. “Garrison, I think he had 11 [points] and 11 [rebounds]. We need to play better, need to shoot better and need to defend better. Need to do all those things.
“But the first part of our season is over with,” he continued, referencing the fact that this was UNC’s final non-conference game of the season. “And now we see what it’s like with the ACC.”
Perhaps the biggest development of the night, though, was not a good one for the Tar Heels.
Freshman guard Anthony Harris, who has come on strong in recent games after missing the beginning of the season with a left knee injury suffered in high school, saw his right knee buckle without contact in the final minutes of Monday’s game. He was helped off the court by trainers, but appeared to be moving very gingerly.
With Cole Anthony sidelined, the emergence of Harris and fellow freshman Jeremiah Francis—who earned his first start on Monday—has helped give Williams some depth in the backcourt which had been severely lacking to start the season.
Should Harris have to miss significant time, the Tar Heels run the risk of taking yet another step back in a season that has been wrecked by the injury bug.
With ACC play beginning this weekend, there is little time for excuses–although Robinson said the constant cycle of injuries is beginning to have a real effect on the team.
“You never want to see those things happen,” Robinson said. “I feel like every time we get another piece back, somebody else goes down. So it’s just kind of hard on us. But we just gotta pray for him, keep his spirit up and hope for the best.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels remain in Chapel Hill for their next game, as they host Georgia Tech at the Dean Dome on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Freshman Jeremiah Francis started at point guard for the Tar Heels, representing his first career collegiate start. He ended the night with 10 points and five assists.
- This was just the second game ever between these two schools, and first since 1921 when Yale won 32-30.
- UNC hasn’t lost five times in the month of December since 1950. It lost four games in the month this season.
Cover photo via Todd Melet
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines