UNC Basketball: Tar Heels play poorly, lose to Clemson by double-digits

UNC basketball team plays worse than a second-rate rec league squad, loses to Clemson by a baker’s dozen.

What can I really say about the Tar Heels’ Tuesday night bout with the mighty Clemson Tigers? They simply got out-played by the juggernaut of South Carolina that had lost four of its last six games by an average of 24.5 points. After a back-and-forth slugfest that included 10 missed free throws and 17 turnovers by the boys in Carolina blue, the Tigers squeaked their way to a nail-biting 13-point victory at Littlejohn Coliseum.

If you’re sensing an inkling of sarcasm in that peppy passage, don’t be alarmed. I’ve just finally lost my calm after watching yet another lackadaisical performance that featured a sub-40 percent shooting display for the umpteenth time this season. Worse than that was the aforementioned futility at the free throw line, where the Tar Heels managed to connect on just 11-of-21 attempts for the game. Add in their 5-for-19 mark from three-point range, and inability to make a clean pass into the post, and it’s a real recipe for disaster.

It was the first time in more than 10 years that not a single North Carolina starter scored double-digit points in a game. And not even one of the nine Tar Heels to check in to Tuesday night’s game didn’t commit a turnover. That’s right; every single UNC player committed at least one turnover, and five Tar Heels committed at least two.

And it wasn’t like there was a real turning point in the game, as things basically went downhill from the moment the ball was tipped. Clemson quickly got out to a double-digit lead early in the first half — something we’ve seen many times this season and last — and the only thing that kept the Tigers from winning by 100 points was their own inability to convert on the offensive end of the court for a long stretch in the second half.

Not a lot of numbers and stats and analysis needed for this one. It was garbage from start to finish, on both ends of the court. Throw the tape away. Burn it. Move on. Try to play good basketball on Saturday against your arch rival.

But for the love of all things holy, please hit some free throws. Please use actual passing angles. Please play with some intensity. Please play like you mean it.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the game recaps and satire you can handle, as well as complete coverage of the Tar Heels’ upcoming weekend game against Duke.