UNC Basketball comes out flat in loss to Virginia

After a week off, the UNC basketball team struggled mightily in their return to the court, as they lost to No. 14 Virginia.

The Virginia Cavaliers continue to own the North Carolina Tar Heels.

On Saturday evening, the Cavaliers picked up their seventh consecutive victory against Roy Williams’ squad. This contest marks the fourth straight matchup in which the Tar Heels failed to score 50 points.

With the Tar Heels still on the bubble in regards to a possible NCAA Tournament bid, this was a game that really could’ve provided a boost to the team’s resume. However, another abysmal offensive performance was yet again the story of the game.

In the first half, the Tar Heels simply couldn’t put the ball in the bucket. Through 12 minutes of play, North Carolina only had three made baskets, and went into the half with just 18 total points.

The 18 first half points tied a North Carolina low during the Roy Williams era. If you were wondering, the other time the Tar Heels only scored 18 points in a half came last season, on the road against…you guessed it…Virginia.

North Carolina trailed by as many as 17 during the first 20 minutes of play. Fortunately, they were able to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to just 9 points heading into the second half.

The first half offensive stats were BRUTAL. Here’s the breakdown:

Field Goals: 8-for-32 (25%)
Three-Point Field Goals: 0-for-9 (0%)
Free Throws: 2-for-5 (40%)
Layups: 6-for-13 (46%)

Not only did they not make a single three-pointer through 20 minutes of play, but it also doesn’t help that they missed seven shots that were considered layups (or “around the rim” shots). A slow start like that simply cannot happen, especially against a defensively-sound team like Virginia.

With the game still somewhat in reach, there was hope the Tar Heels could make a run in the final half of play. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, as the offensive struggles continued.

The Tar Heels battled throughout, and at times it looked as if they were destined for a run to get back in it. After trailing double-digits for most of the game, Kerwin Walton’s second made three pointer of the game cut the Cavalier lead to just nine with five minutes to play, but that’s the closest North Carolina would get.

Overall, the Tar Heels did not have a single player score in double-figures. Freshman Walker Kessler, who played just 12 minutes, led the team with nine points. Other than Kessler (who was 3-of-5 from the floor), there were no other Tar Heels who shot the ball well against Virginia. The Tar Heels ended up shooting 34 percent from the floor, and just 13 percent from deep.

Speaking of three pointers, as a whole, it took almost 24 minutes of game time to make a shot from deep. The Tar Heels just made 2-of-16 three-point attempts (both by Kerwin Walton). North Carolina’s starting five also struggled, as they combined for just 24 points on 10-of-34 shooting. That can’t happen if this team has any aspirations of making a late season run.

Simply put, this is not a night that the Tar Heels want to remember.

It seems as if the same trends continue to hurt Roy Williams’ team. Poor shooting, sloppy play and bad free throw shooting have been the cause for this group’s struggles all season. Tonight, the poor shooting got the Tar Heels at the wrong time, as this was a game that really could’ve helped them down the road.

Before tonight’s game, it was announced that Tuesday’s scheduled contest against nationally-ranked Virginia Tech had been postponed. It is likely that North Carolina will look to make up a previously postponed game, or add a game at some point this week to fill the void.

If the Tar Heels can not find an opponent on short notice, they will take the floor a week from tonight at home against Louisville. Tip-off for that contest is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and the game will once again be televised live on ESPN.

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