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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels can’t buy buckets late in loss to Wolfpack

By Blake Cockrum

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels talks to his players during a time-out during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 19, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels talks to his players during a time-out during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 19, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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UNC basketball falls to NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh

Final. 76. 441. 79. 442

Devon Daniels scored a game-high 21 points for the Wolfpack on an 8-for-13 shooting performance and 2-of-3 from three-point range, as North Carolina State beat crosstown rival North Carolina by a final score of 79-76 at PNC Arena on Tuesday night.

Freshman guard Shekeel Moore added 17 points off the NC State bench, and Manny Bates gave the Wolfpack 15 points, seven rebounds and five blocks while hitting 7-of-11 shots from the floor. The Wolfpack shot 46.9 percent for the game, including 8-of-17 from beyond the arc and 11-of-20 at the free throw line. Despite getting outrebounded by 11 and having five fewer assists, NC State was able to capitalize on a poor shooting performance by the Tar Heels and 18 UNC turnovers.

Sophomore center Armando Bacot led the Tar Heels with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds. Freshman guards Caleb Love and R.J. Davis scored 11 points each, but did it on another terrible shooting performance. The backcourt duo combined to shoot 8-for-28 from the floor and 1-for-8 from long-range. Senior big man Garrison Brooks added 10 points and seven rebounds, but struggled from the field with a 5-for-14 shooting performance. The UNC bench scored 22 points, including eight from Andrew Platek and six from Day’Ron Sharpe.

The Tar Heels trailed the Wolfpack throughout, and couldn’t buy a bucket any time the score got close. Big runs by the Tar Heels got them within striking distance after facing double-digit deficits on multiple occasions, but a 31-for-70 shooting night didn’t help their efforts. Neither did their inability to hit three-pointers — they shot just 2-for-12 from beyond the arc — and another sub-par shooting night from the free throw line (12-for-17).

The Tar Heels fall to 5-3 with the loss, and now begin preparation for another conference road game — a December 30 matchup with Georgia Tech at McCamish Pavilion.

Next. Six Tar Heels earn All-ACC honors. dark

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