It took a last second shot from a familiar foe to take down the Tar Heels.
Down one point with seven seconds remaining on the clock, former Duke Blue Devil and current Stanford guard Jaylen Blakes drove the length of the court, guarded by Seth Tremble (one of UNC’s best defenders) and hit a fade away jumper with two seconds remaining – lifting the Cardinals to a 72-71 win over the Tar Heels. The loss ended UNC”s four-game win streak and was the Tar Heels’ first defeat this season when leading at the break.
North Carolina nursed a one-point lead at halftime, led by RJ Davis’ nine points and five assists. Davis finished with a team high 19 points, Ven-Allen Lubin added a season high 13 points and Elliot Cadeau scored 12 points, but it was Ian Jackson’s tough offensive outing that hurt the Tar Heels the most. Prior to Saturday’s game Jackson, who was just 1-8 from the field (0-5 from three) for six points, had scored 20+ points in six of North Carolina’s last seven outings.
“It wasn’t just one thing. It was a number of little details and mistakes that we made throughout the game on both ends,” head coach Hubert Davis said in his post game press conference. “Whether it was execution defensively out-of-bounds underneath, ball-screen coverage and close outs. On the offensive end turnovers, shot selection, execution and being in the right spots. I felt like it was a culmination of little things leading to big things happening today.”
Carolina tied its season low with five turnovers in the losing effort. It was the fewest turnovers by the Tar Heels in a loss since losing to Duke, 86-78, on 2/9/17.
There’s just one thing on the Tar Heels mind after the heartbreaking loss.
“Just regroup,” Seth Tremble said. “We’ve got to get back from the game, recover, get back up on our feet and continue to give the extra effort that we have been giving that has been winning us games.”
Next up the Tar Heels will travel to Winston Salem for a matchup against Wake Forest on Tuesday night.
Notes:
- NC lost by one point at the Smith Center for the first time since losing to Pittsburgh, 65-64, on 2/1/23.
- UNC lost at the Smith Center when leading at halftime for the first time since losing to Duke on 2/8/20. This was the 19th time Carolina has ever lost at the Smith Center when leading at halftime.
- This was the first time Ian Jackson did not make a three-pointer and first time he didn’t score in double figures in nine games since he scored five points vs. La Salle.
- Ven-Allen Lubin scored a season-high 13 points, the fourth time this season he has scored in double figures.
- Lubin and Jalen Washington (season-high nine field goal attempts) combined for 21 points, the second time the two have combined for 20 or more points this season (26 against American).
