For a span of 2:21 at the end of the first half of Tuesday’s 80-69 victory against UNC-Asheville, North Carolina displayed glimpses of the skill and potential that ranked them among the preseason top ten teams in the country.
An emphatic rejection by John Henson punctuated a 7-2 UNC run that featured a follow-up dunk by Tyler Zeller and a put-back two by Harrison Barnes to push the Tar Heel lead to a then-game-high 17.
But the ensuing final seconds illustrated the early season struggles that threaten to drop the Tar Heels out of the top 25 in the near future.
North Carolina relinquished a pair of buckets, separated by a UNC turnover, to end the opening period up just 13 against the visiting Bulldogs.
As the first half buzzer sounded and both teams headed to the locker room, UNC coach Roy Williams yanked his glasses from his face before shoving them in his coat pocket, echoing his frustrations with his young North Carolina squad.
“All of a sudden, we got (the lead) to 17,” Williams said.
“Then the last 45 seconds of the first half was about as dumb as we could play.”
The inconsistent play that troubled UNC in a pair of losses in Puerto Rico this past weekend was on display again Tuesday at the Dean E. Smith Center, where the Tar Heels stretched their lead to as many as 22 points early in the second half but were forced to withstand a late charge from the Bulldogs to establish the final 11-point margin.
Zeller led all scorers with 23 points, while John Henson added 10 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in a fine effort from the UNC frontline, which outrebounded UNC-A 51-32.