UNC Tar Heels Basketball Team Finishes the Game With a Victory On the Road Against the Syracuse Orange

by Derrick Clyburn

The North Carolina basketball team faced off against Syracuse on Saturday night looking to break their four-game road losing streak. UNC was cold from the field to start the game, missing 7 of their first 8 shots including a few layups. Syracuse also got off to a cold shooting start only making 2 of their seven shots due to some good defense from UNC early on. Through the first 13 minutes of the first half, the poor shooting continued with both shooting just 30%. Carolina would be the first team to settle in offensively and went on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to nine. Ian Jackson was excellent in the first half with 16 points, after not scoring in double figures the last three games, and led the Heels to an eight-point lead going into halftime. 

North Carolina came out firing in the second half, hitting their first four shots. After struggling to defend the Heels’ offense late in the first half, Syracuse switched to a 2-3 zone coming out of halftime. UNC didn’t panic and moved the ball around the open man, exposing the weak parts of Syracuse’s zone. The Tar Heels were flowing offensively, getting quality shots every time down the floor, but struggled to get consecutive stops on defense. Syracuse’s guard JJ Starling, the Orange’s leading scorer was held to just 2 points in the first half by UNC but got going offensively in the second half finishing the game with 22 points. Starling excelled at getting to his midrange shot as Carolina struggled to stay in front of him. Because of their offense, Syracuse was able to stay in the game and keep it close going into the final minutes.

North Carolina never trailed in the game, but the game was tied with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Heels responded to every run the Orange made with key baskets and timely stops. Jaelyn Withers was huge for UNC on both ends of the floor with 19 points and 3 blocks, playing his best game in his tenure at Carolina. Down the stretch, the Heels got critical contributions from several players to help secure their victory over Syracuse. Ian Jackson, Jaelyn Withers, RJ Davis, Elliott Cadeau, and Drake Powell all hit big shots. Drake Powell and Jaelyn Withers’ defense was outstanding, locking down Syracuse’s best players on the most important defensive possessions, including a block from each player. Elliott Cadeau made the biggest shot of the game after his layup put the Heels up four to essentially put the game away, helping the Tar Heels snap their four-game road losing streak with an 88-82 win. 

UNC Game Stats

Final

	1	2	T
UNC	42	46	88
SYR	34	48	82

UNC Bright Spots  

Ian Jackson had 23 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. 

Jaelyn Withers had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1 assist. 

RJ Davis had 16 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. 

Needs Work  

The Tar Heels need to learn how to extend their leads. They need to play well on both ends of the floor at the same time to help put teams away. This will keep them from having to grind out every game.  

The Tar Heels must be better defensively. They must be more disruptive on that side of the floor. It starts with ball pressure using their speed and athleticism to their advantage. They cannot afford to get lazy defensively and not give their all on that end of the floor. They must be better at navigating screens, contesting shots, and defending the paint. It all starts with communication. The better they communicate, the better they will be able to defend and stay connected defensively 

The Heels must also be better from the free-throw line. On most of their trips to the line, they are making one of two free throws, and they are a much better free throw-shooting team than what they have shown over the last few games. Their free-throw line struggles allow teams to hang around instead of helping them close out games sooner. 

Final Observations 

The Tar Heels improve to 15-11 on the season. The Heels are currently in sixth place in the ACC standings, and they have six games remaining in the regular season. Carolina must go on a winning streak down the stretch if they want to make the NCAA tournament. They have the personnel and the talent to do so, but it will come down to how consistent their play can be in these games. UNC must play with a sense of urgency, energy, and effort on both ends of the floor and play like their season is on the line every time they touch the floor. Ian Jackson broke out of his shooting slump in today’s game and when he consistently scores 15+ points in a game, the Tar Heels win most of their games.

It will take everyone though for the UNC to salvage this season. The Heels have shown when they get multiple guys to contribute offensively, they play their best basketball. The key to the Tar Heels’ success going forward will be how well they play defensively and their ability to limit turnovers and get quality shots offensively. The coaches must hold the players accountable if they are playing up to the standard and bench any player who is not giving supreme effort or is hurting the team’s chances of winning in any way. There should be a sense of desperation in the way the Tar Heels play, and we should see it in every game remaining with an NCAA tournament berth on the line. Next up is NC State on Wednesday, February 19 on ESPN at 7:00 P.M.