The North Carolina men’s basketball team was on a hot streak entering Tuesday's matchup with Clemson. After finding ways to win in previous matchups, the Tar Heels did everything to lose in a 63-50 defeat to the Tigers.
What happened?
The Tar Heels started the game slow offensively – a trend in nearly all of their games. They were settling for contested 3-pointers, while the Tigers were more willing to attack the basket. Clemson’s defense was also swarming from the jump, forcing UNC out of the paint, where it is most comfortable. The Tigers were suddenly up 24-9, forcing the Tar Heels into another early hole.
It took until the 7:26 mark of the first half for a North Carolina player to make a 3-pointer, which was made by first-year Caleb Love. It was immediately followed by a Kerwin Walton bucket from beyond the arch, which cut the deficit to nine. It was the first score of the game for a guard other than an Andrew Platek free throw. Continuing turnovers prevented the Tar Heels from making a significant dent in Clemson’s lead.
By the end of the first half, the Tar Heels turnover total was up to 10 and the Tiger’s lead remained in double-digits. Nine different players had a turnover, with Love the only one having two.
UNC only scored two field goals in the opening four minutes of the second half, but a couple free throws kept the deficit from expanding. Two buckets from first-year Day’Ron Sharpe and a Garrison Brooks dunk cut the lead to five, the lowest since the beginning of the first half. The lead got as low as four, before both teams went on a cold streak. For over three minutes, neither squad could buy a bucket.
North Carolina had many chances to cut into the lead as the Tigers went on several droughts. However, outside of an occasional Sharpe post move, there was nothing going on the offensive end for UNC. The Tigers’ lead would eventually stretch back out to double-digits and that’s where it stayed for the rest of the game.
Who stood out?
Sharpe was instrumental in North Carolina’s second half comeback. He used his size and strength to provide his team with some much-needed offense. While his woeful free throw percentage hurt the team, his efficiency in the paint was the only reason the game was close in the second half. He finished with a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds.
