Basketball is an unpredictable sport.
Some nights, the basket can seem wide as a hula hoop. This was the case in the Tar Heels' last matchup against Georgia Tech last Sunday, when they shot 56.4 percent from the field.
Other nights, the net could look as small as a peephole – and Saturday was one of those nights.
One game removed from a red-hot shooting performance in Atlanta, the North Carolina men’s basketball team struggled to find the net early against Elon. In the first half of their 80-63 victory over the Phoenix, the Tar Heels shot just 29.4 percent from the field.
UNC improved its shooting in the second half – making over 50 percent of its shots after the break – but still finished with just a 39 percent field goal percentage on the night.
Despite the lack of offensive rhythm, the defense rose to the occasion. After four games of allowing opponents to score over 80 points per game earlier in the season, the Tar Heels have responded by holding teams to under 65 points in each of the last four games.
“As good of a shooting team as we are, you are going to have nights where the normal shots that go in don’t,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “What has to be consistent is defense and I was very happy with our defensive effort.”
Against their second in-state opponent of the season, the Tar Heels showed out on the defensive end, collecting 12 steals from six different players and also swatting away three shots.
Another key factor to Saturday night’s victory was the efficient effort from UNC at the free throw line. After the Tar Heels struggled to get to the line against Georgia Tech and Michigan – having just 11 combined attempts in both games – they were more aggressive getting free shots against Elon, going 27-35 from the charity stripe.
