UNC Basketball: Tar Heels use big second half to beat Syracuse

The North Carolina Tar Heels fell behind early but rallied using a big second half to beat Syracuse in the Dean Dome Tuesday night

For some moments there in the first half, things didn’t look good for the North Carolina Tar Heels against Syracuse on Tuesday.

The Orange were hot early, jumping out to a 15-6 lead in the first four minutes or so. Syracuse came out shooting well from the three-point line and it looked like it was going to be one of those nights again for the Tar Heels.

But UNC managed to rally back and even take the lead at the 10:46 mark despite their own poor shooting.

The Tar Heels kept it close throughout the first half, never really letting Syracuse get out to a big lead and push it to double-digits. By doing so, UNC would remain in striking distance trailing by just three at halftime.

Then in the second half, the Tar Heels made their move.

UNC opened up the second half on a 12-3 run to grab a 58-49 lead, one they would not give up and hold on to throughout the second half. Freshman point guard Coby White sparked the run by draining a three-pointer on the first two possessions of the half.

White came out hot in that second half, scoring 9 of UNC’s 12 points on that run. He finished the game with 34 points on 9 of 14 shooting, becoming the first UNC freshman to have three games of 30-plus points in a season.

The Tar Heels were able to get hot in the second half and push the tempo, not allowing Syracuse to get into their zone defense.

They were also able to do damage at the free throw line. UNC made 34 of their 37 free throw attempts compared to Syracuse making 13 of 23. That was a huge difference in the game, including the second half.

While UNC controlled for most of the second half, the Orange made a few runs to keep it close and interesting.

Led by Tyus Battle, who finished with 29 points, the Orange cut the deficit to two a few times and even had it down to three with just over 7 minutes left. They trailed by 5 with 1:38 left but UNC would close the game out by making all six of their free throw attempts after that moment.

The win helps UNC keep pace with Virginia atop the ACC Standings with just three games left in conference play and also earned them a double-bye in the conference tournament. UNC will be on the road for the next two games before returning home to take on Duke in the finale on March 9.

Player of the Game

Coby White turned in another impressive performance to give UNC a big victory. The freshman scored 34 points, doing most of his damage in the second half and dished out 3 assists.

White has been fantastic for UNC this season, setting new freshman records including his latest of having 3 games with 30-plus points.

If White can play at this level in March, UNC will be tough to beat.

Stat of the Game

The Tar Heels took advantage at the free throw line. They went to the line 37 times in the game, making 34 of those attempts. In the first half, UNC was able to get Syracuse into foul trouble and was in the bonus with over 8 minutes to go.

Then in the second half, UNC was able to draw some key fouls on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

What’s next?

The Tar Heels head to Clemson to take on the Tigers on Saturday night. The game is set for a 6 p.m. tipoff on ESPN.