UNC Basketball: Tar Heels crash and burn against Duke in ACC Semis

The Tar Heels ACC season is officially over. What did Carolina do to lose to the rival Blue Devils?

The Tar Heels’ ACC tournament has now come to an end as well. Like the regular season it came in a game against Duke. Unlike the regular season it came in a loss, 93- 83.

It was a disappointing one to say the least. UNC led for the majority of the game and dominated the paint. But a critical moment involving Joel Berry in the second half really turned the tide into Duke’s favor.

So what happened in the game?

First Half

The first half brought some UNC-Duke nostalgia, that is if you’re a Blue Devil fan.

In remembrance of the game in Durham, Grayson Allen went crazy from the behind the arc. The junior shot 4-for-5 from downtown and did a lot of it off screens from Amile Jefferson.

Furthermore, in remembrance of the game of Durham, the refs called a lot of fouls for the Blue Devils. Duke shot 14 free throws in the first half, while Carolina shot just eight. The foul shots came courtesy of Joel Berry II, Justin Jackson, and Isaiah Hicks, who all finished the half on the bench with two fouls a piece.

That foul trouble also led to another reminder, this time from the day before against Miami. UNC was up 13 with 1:47 to go. Duke ended the half on a 7-1 run keeping UNC from hitting the 50 point mark in the first half.

Not all was bad for UNC though.

They did go into halftime up seven. That was in huge part to the work of Carolina’s front court. The senior duo of Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks combined for 26 points and 10 rebounds in the first half on 11-of-15 shooting.

The Tar Heels also had 15 assists on 20 made baskets. The Blue Devils had only four.

Additionally, Jayson Tatum continued his run to the NBA with 18 points, including going 5-for-5 from the line, in the first half of play.

Mar 10, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) looks to pass against Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Second Half

The second half was all about Joel Berry II.

Or more correctly it was all about the lack of Joel Berry II. Berry picked up his fourth foul with 15:04 remaining in the game. From that point on Duke outscored UNC 45-27. That includes a 29-14 stint with Berry on the bench.

Duke just continued its dominance from the line. The Blue Devils outscored the Tar Heels from behind the arc by 15. They also outscored North Carolina by 19 from the free throw line.

It was just too much for North Carolina to overcome and Duke walked out victorious in the semifinals of the ACC tournament.

Duke was led by the trio of Luke Kennard, Jayson Tatum, and Grayson Allen who combined for 62 of Duke’s 93 points. Meanwhile the Tar Heel’s got 19 a piece from Hicks and Meeks.

Good news is that UNC should still be a one seed in the NCAA tournament. Also Roy Williams has never won the ACC tournament and the National Title in the same season. So here is hoping that this season he wins the other.

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