UNC Basketball Moments After – UNC vs Michigan State 94-91 Overtime Loss 

UNC Tar Heels Basketball Team Falls Short Trying to Match Auburn’s Physicality in the Semi-Finals of the Maui Classic

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

After yesterday’s loss to Auburn, the North Carolina basketball team faced off against Michigan State in the third-place game of the Maui Invitational. For the fourth time in seven games this season, the Tar Heels have gotten off to a slow start and found themselves down double digits in the first half. The Heels missed their first nine shots of the game and were down 10-2 early. Ian Jackson and Drake Powell were then inserted into the game and provided a much-needed spark for Carolina off the bench. Carolina would hit 5 of their next six shots to cut their deficit to four. 25 of UNC’s 30 first-half points came off the bench including 10 points each from Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. In addition to North Carolina’s poor shooting early in the game, the Heels were not locked in defensively. Michigan State got whatever shot they wanted and there wasn’t much resistance from Carolina on most of the Spartan’s shots. The Spartans were driving to the basket scoring with ease and kicking it out to players wide open for three. Michigan State shot 55% from the field in the first half and led by 12 going into halftime.  

In the second half, the Tar Heels tried to rally and make a comeback for the third straight game. When UNC was able to string together consecutive stops, they were able to bring the game within reach. Early in the second half, the Heels cut the lead to 3 after forcing some turnovers showing some resistance, and picking up their intensity and effort defensively. Once Carolina started playing better defensively, the Tar Heels started to get downhill and attack the basket consistently for layups, which is where they thrive. UNC’s drives were so effective that they caused Michigan State’s defense to collapse, and it allowed the UNC guards to kick out to wide-open shooters for three. At the 13:16 mark, Carolina took a 58-57 lead after hitting eight straight shots.

However, the Spartans would respond and regain the lead, taking control of the game for the next few minutes of the game. UNC once again started to allow straight-line drives for layups and defensive communication wasn’t nearly where it needed to be all game, which led to several easy baskets for Michigan State. With about 3:41 left in regulation, the Tar Heels trailed 79-71 and they would go an 11-3 run to tie the game and force it into overtime. Down the stretch, North Carolina got timely stops including two huge Seth Trimble steals. RJ Davis scored an and-one to cut the lead to four, Elliott Cadeau hit a critical three to trim the lead to one, and Seth Trimble hit an incredible three off a pin-down screen with 5 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, Carolina made some costly mistakes, including turnovers, failures to secure defensive rebounds, and bad shot selection. Meanwhile, late in the game, UNC went to a small ball lineup. In overtime, the Spartans took full advantage and scored three straight baskets in the paint to extend their lead and ultimately seal the win over the Tar Heels. RJ Davis shot 6 for 18 from the field and struggled to find his shot against Michigan State’s stout defense, including some key misses in overtime. Drake Powell finished the game with a career-high 18 points, and showed some tremendous growth in this game, hitting critical shots late in the game. However, it wasn’t enough as the Tar Heel now falls to 4-3 on the season. 

UNC Game Stats

Final/OT

	1	2	OT	T
MSU	43	39	12	94
UNC	34	48	9	91

UNC Bright Spots  

Drake Powell had a career-high 18 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. 

Elliott Cadeau had 17 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. 

RJ Davis had 16 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. 

Ian Jackson had 14 points and 4 rebounds.  

Needs Work  

The Tar Heels need to start games with more energy, effort, and intensity on both ends of the floor. This was the fourth time in seven games that the Heels have gotten off to a slow start and had a double-digit deficit in the first half, which is unacceptable. Those slow starts allow teams to get confidence early in games and put them at a disadvantage against their opponents.  

The Tar Heels must be better defensively in all facets. They are getting blown by on the perimeter and are struggling to protect the rim and paint against their opponents. Their effort, intensity, and attention to detail on defense have not been to the level needed to disrupt the opposing offense. Allowing a team to shoot 54% from the field is totally unacceptable. 

Coach Hubert Davis must do a better job of running plays for the Bigs, incorporating them more in the offense for more than just setting screens and rolling and crashing the offensive glass. Jalen Washington and Ven Allen Lubin are skilled enough offensively to have specific plays designed just for them. Jalen Washington had 0 points in this game. That should never happen. Putting an emphasis on getting them involved offensively will make them a more consistent offensive threat that opposing defenses will have to account for and it will make it easier for the guards and wings to get more quality shots at the rim and on the perimeter. 

Coach Davis’s in-game adjustments must be better. When the team is struggling defensively and to rebound, you must insert your bigs into the lineup instead of going small and make them more of a priority because you will not beat the best teams all the time going small. Coach Hubert Davis also needs to mix in different defenses when the regular man-to-man defense is not working and they are failing to get stops. A Zone defense and full-court press will throw the opposing team out of rhythm offensively and it will create better opportunities for your team to get extra possessions.  

Final Observations 

The Tar Heels fall to 4-3 on the season after a frustrating and disappointing loss to Michigan State. It’s always tough losing to a team that’s less talented than you but the Spartans outplayed the Tar Heels. They come out of Maui 1-2 in the tournament and with a few issues to address. One major issue is their defense and rebounding. In the last three games, the Heels have allowed 90, 85, and 94 points. That is a recipe for disaster. You should be able to beat most teams if you score 80 points in a college game. UNC must step it on defense if they want to be a championship team. They must be better on the perimeter keeping their opponent in front of them, playing help-side defense, closing out on shooters, protecting the paint, and keeping the opponent off the offensive glass.

Carolina didn’t do a good enough job in any of those areas in this tournament. The next issue is the lack of energy, effort, and intensity to start games. In four of their seven games, the Heels have found themselves down by double digits in the first half. That is totally unacceptable. It puts your team at a major disadvantage and the team has to exert too much energy and play almost perfect basketball to rally a comeback to win the game. That is not sustainable, and the coaching staff deserves some blame when it comes to slow starts. They have to get the message across to these players about how important the beginning of these games is.

Whatever it takes for them to understand and comprehend that they need to do it. This team is too good to consistently play poorly in the first halves of games. North Carolina has one of the best backcourts in the nation and two outstanding freshmen coming off the bench and need to play like it consistently. The coaching staff must get more out of their frontcourt players and make them more of a priority. Offensively, the bigs need to be more involved with the coaching staff implementing plays utilizing their unique skill sets. This team clearly has work to do to become the championship team they aspire to be. The effort and attention to detail on both ends of the floor must be better. The leaders on this team, Elliott Cadeau and RJ Davis, played poorly in two of the three games in this tournament and just cannot happen. They must show their leadership through their play and demand excellence from their teammates every game because this team is much better than what they have shown so far this season. Next up is Alabama on Wednesday, December 4 at 7:15 on ESPN.