Men's basketball struggles in win against UNC-Asheville

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.

But Barnes, Dexter Strickland and Larry Drew II combined for 12 of UNC’s 19 turnovers as the Tar Heels’ frenetic pace came unharnessed, especially in the early going.

UNC’s guards tore upcourt at every opportunity in the opening minutes, searching for alleyways to attack the rim on the break. But the breakneck pace produced multiple errant passes, ill-advised shots and contributed to UNC’s 13 first half turnovers.

“I was trying to do too much,” Strickland said. “Making silly passes, it’s just all mental mistakes.”

Added Williams: “We had fast breaks in the first half that looked like we’d never practiced a fast break before in our life.”

But trailing 13-11 after eight minutes of first half action, UNC began to settle in. Upon grabbing a defensive rebound, Kendall Marshall pushed up the floor, but held for the delayed break, where he found Barnes for an uncontested three-pointer that put the Tar Heels ahead for good.

Barnes’ triple ignited an 11-2 UNC run as the Tar Heels began to work for improved looks in the half court, registering assists on six of their next seven field goals.

“I think everyone was ready to go from Puerto Rico and how we finished up there. I think everyone was really amped and ready to go,” Barnes said.

“We just needed to take a breath, slow down and play our game.”

The tempo steadied, UNC was able to capitalize on its size advantage in the low post, where Zeller, Henson and Knox were able to back in the Bulldogs’ big men to convert easy buckets.

Zeller’s low post hook with 16:49 to play in the second half established the Tar Heels’ largest advantage at 55-33, but UNC-A rallied to pull within six with 5:09 remaining.

UNC held the Bulldogs to 2-for-8 shooting the rest of the way, though, to preserve the victory

“If I live through this team, I think we’re going to be a heck of a lot better at the end of the year,” Williams said.

“And there is a big question if I’m going to live through it.”