'We struggled today': UNC basketball posts season-low scoring in loss to Clemson

The North Carolina men’s basketball team was peaking at the right time heading into a major rivalry weekend. 

Shots were starting to fall, turnovers were slowing down, a previously stagnant offense was starting to find its rhythm — and it all translated into wins. 

Heading into Tuesday's game with Clemson, UNC was victorious in six of its last seven matchups and was maintaining its third three-game win streak of the season. The team has continued to take small steps in the right direction.

But the early-season Tar Heels made a reappearance on Tuesday, falling on the road to a struggling Clemson team. Really, the team that took the court in South Carolina may have been worse. At least UNC was getting more than two offensive rebounds in a half in December. 

“I feel like we took a step back to where we were when we first started,” said first-year Day’Ron Sharpe, who finished with a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. 

The game went awry from the start for UNC. The Tigers came out aggressive, forcing the Tar Heels into bad decisions. Their offense was solely composed of contested jumpers and turnovers. It was not a recipe for early success and ultimately resulted in a 63-50 loss for UNC. 

The inside game that had been such a factor in wins was minimal in the first half. Yet, the first field goal from a guard came with just over seven minutes remaining in the opening frame. 

It only got worse in the second half. Clemson left the door open for a UNC comeback, something North Carolina has become accustomed to this year. Come out slow in the first; roar back in the second for a win. 

The Tar Heels cut the deficit to as low as four, but could not inch themselves any closer, as shots and free throws alike clanked off the rim. And after struggling to take the lid off the basket, that once-small gap was suddenly too wide to overcome. 

North Carolina’s dominant paint triumvirate of Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot and Sharpe, who have been key in the team’s crucial moments, were not all present. It was only Sharpe who truly showed up, adding a night of 6-8 shooting to his team highs in points and boards. But even his performances displayed the dents in the Tar Heels' armor, as he finished with three turnovers and a 4-10 mark from the stripe. 

Meanwhile, Bacot — UNC's leading scorer this year — seemed to slip back into last year's inconsistent ways.

“It was not a good night for Armando, and he, for the most part, has been our most consistent player,” head coach Roy Williams said. 

The guards were just as ineffective, with none of them eclipsing double-digit scoring. With only five 3-pointers and five assists between them, the frontcourt wasn’t able to make the plays needed to keep UNC in position to win.

After having a week between this game and the last, the Tar Heels came out with little offensive flow. It was that kind of night for the UNC. A night the Tar Heels can't always afford sitting on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament

The Tigers, meanwhile, entered Tuesday trying to get a bitter taste out of their mouths after getting embarrassed by Duke, a team encountering its own late-season struggles. The Tigers had a lot to prove and they surely showed it against a hot UNC team.

Williams now will have to go back to the drawing board and hope that Tuesday’s team doesn’t return when his squad makes the trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday. 

“We struggled today," Brooks said. “You’re gonna have days when you struggle, and most of the time, you overcome it. Today, we struggled and we didn’t win, but I think it’s something we can still learn from.”

@ryanheller23 

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