UNC Tar Heels Basketball Team Falls in 4 OTs to the Crimson Tide

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

The North Carolina basketball team played in their final game of the Phil Knight Invitational against Alabama on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels got off to a slow start at the beginning of the game. UNC struggled offensively against Alabama’s length, physicality, and aggressiveness with their ball pressure. Alabama’s intensity on defense caused the Tar Heels to take tough shots and bothered the Heels’ rhythm on offense.

In the middle of the first half, North Carolina made some adjustments and went on a 9-0 run to take the lead. This run was fueled by the Tar Heels picking up their intensity and energy on defense, which allowed them to get out in transition and get easy baskets. However, Alabama wouldn’t go away. Alabama started to move the ball around offensively and started to knock down some shots including 4 threes. The Roll Tide also switched to a zone defense and North Carolina started to settle for jump shots as it became a back-and-forth game. Alabama would have a three-point lead going into halftime.

In the second half, Alabama came out and extended their lead to 7. UNC would then go on a 6-0 run where Armando Bacot scored all the points to bring the game back close. This game would indeed go down to the wire as both teams gave it all they had on both ends of the floor. Leaky Black did an excellent job on Alabama’s leading scorer Brandon Miller who had under figures up to point in the game.

The Tar Heels and Alabama both found success offensively and exploited the weaknesses of each team’s defenses. North Carolina had their most success offensively when they would make a concerted effort to get downhill and drive to the basket. While Alabama found their most success driving and kicking out to three-point shooters. In the second half, both teams shot over 50% from the field, which is why it was a close game to the end.

Alabama made over 10 threes in the game and Caleb Love and RJ Davis were leading the way for the Tar Heels offensively. Down the stretch of the game, both teams made big plays on both ends of the floor. With under a minute left in the game, North Carolina had the ball with the game tied and Caleb Love had a chance to take the lead with a three-point attempt but missed. Alabama got the ball and dribbled it out for the last shot, but the Tar Heels stood firm led by Leaky Black who got the stop to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, both teams looked tired as they missed a few shots to start. Each team scored four points in this first overtime as Caleb Love and Jahvon Quinerly both made huge shots. On their final possessions of the first overtime, neither team scored as both teams got a defensive stop, which meant a second overtime. In the second overtime, Alabama went on a 4-0 run to go up 4. After sitting for most of the second half, the Heels would insert Pete Nance back into and he would give them a huge spark on both ends of the floor.

This overtime would go down to the wire as North Carolina tied the game after shots made by Caleb Love and Puff Johnson. Alabama would go up 4 once again, but the Tar Heels would once again tie the game. This overtime would come down to the last possessions by each team. North Carolina made some questionable decisions on these possessions that resulted in turnovers that gave the Roll Tide one last chance to win the game. Alabama had a chance to take the lead twice down the stretch but Carolina would lock in defensively and get two straight stops including a Pete Nance block at the buzzer.

For the second time in UNC basketball history, a game would go to a third overtime. North Carolina would come out in the third overtime with more energy and go on a 6-0 run to put them up 6. It seemed as if the Heels had all the momentum at this point in the game. Alabama did not give up though. The Tar Heels got sloppy on their offensive possessions with unforced turnovers and settled for some bad shots.

Alabama took advantage and Jahvon Quinerly made a couple of shots to tie the game. North Carolina had one more opportunity to win the game at the buzzer, but Pete Nance turned over the ball on the inbounds play and the game was heading to a 4th overtime. The 4th overtime was once again close. Big shots were made by Alabama players Jaden Bradley and Charles Bendiako and UNC’s Caleb Love.

Leaky Black also made a big three to put the Heels up one with just over a minute left in the game. The Heels got the ball back after getting a huge stop on the next possession. However, the Tar Heels couldn’t finish the job. RJ Davis would miss his shot, and Charles Bediako would go down and make a layup on the other end to give Alabama a 102-101 lead. North Carolina had one last opportunity to win the game as Caleb Love drove the ball to the basket and the refs called goaltending. The referees would review this call and overturn it giving Alabama back the ball. On the next inbounds play, Seth Trimble would knock the ball off of Alabama and give it back to the Tar Heels. With one play left in the game, Alabama would steal the inbounds pass made by Pete Nance, and UNC would lose their second straight game in the row.

UNC Game Stats

1st     2nd     3rd     4th     5th     6th     TOT

#1 North Carolina      34      43      4       8       7       5       101

#18 Alabama            37      40      4       8       7       7       103

North Carolina

STARTERSPTSREBASTPFMIN
C. Love3494458
A. Bacot20102439
R. Davis1994450
L. Black1080254
P. Nance473425
BENCHPTSREBASTPFMIN
P. Johnson1052348
D. Dunn200216
W. Shaver2000–
D. Styles00002
S. Trimble01007
J. McKoy00001

Alabama

STARTERSPTSREBASTPFMIN
M. Sears2455055
C. Bediako14162444
B. Miller1472448
N. Burnett311414
N. Clowney13003
BENCHPTSREBASTPFMIN
J. Quinerly2168344
N. Gurley1361242
J. Bradley1032128
R. Griffen310216
N. Pringle01026

UNC Bright Spots

Caleb Love had 34 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

Armando Bacot had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists.

RJ Davis had 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

Leaky Black had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.

Needs Work

The Tar Heels have to do a better job defending the three-point line They have allowed too many wide-open threes due to over-helping in the paint or losing their man off the ball. Their screen defense has to be much better. They need to do a better job of fighting over screens and running the opponent off the line.

The Tar Heels’ offense needs to be better against zone defenses. It seems like when teams go to zone defenses, they struggle to get good shots and settle too many times for jump shots. Caleb Love and RJ Davis try to go one-on-one and make poor decisions with their shot selection and it costs the team. Everyone out on the floor also tries to make difficult passes that get intercepted and allows the other team to get out in transition. The Heels must find plays that will exploit those defenses.

The Tar Heels have to be better on the glass. They allowed too many offensive rebounds which led to second-chance points for the opponent.

Hubert Davis and his coaching staff must make better in-game adjustments and call better plays down the stretch of games. They failed to make any adjustments that would stop Alabama’s hot shooting from three. In addition, there were four chances at the end of the game to win the game but they failed to make the play call to put their players in a position to win.

The Tar Heels also need to be better at the free-throw line. They get in the bonus often and struggle to take advantage because they don’t make enough free throws.

Final Observations

The Tar Heels fall to 5-2 on the season. North Carolina has work to do. This is the second loss in a row. You can argue that they should’ve won both games, especially today’s game. In Friday’s game, they were up by 7 with 3 minutes left and made mistakes down the stretch of the game that caused them to lose.

In today’s game, at the end of regulation and the four overtimes, they had the ball with a chance to win at the buzzer and failed. This was probably Hubert Davis’s worst coaching job since he became coach last season. Coach Davis didn’t make enough in-game adjustments or call any good plays on the final possessions to put his team in a better position to win. He has to be better in that area if this team wants to go on a championship run again.

He must find a way to build up his bench so his starters won’t have to play so many minutes. In this game, they were too tired at the end of the game and you could tell because their shots were all short at the end. This team still has the talent and players to have a special season, but the coaching staff must make adjustments to the rotation, style of play, and overall morale of the team to get them there. Next up is Indiana on November 30 at 9:15.

 

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