Free throws. Oh. My. God!!!
How do you know the Tar Heels were probably deep into cram mode and not into making 100 free throws at 1 am? Look at their awful free-throw splits.
North Carolina shot 5/12 from the line in the first half, and 11/23 for the game. That's under 50% for the game! Technically, the Tar Heels almost achieved that golden Dean Smith goal of making more free throws than the opponent attempts (La Salle went 5/11 for the game), but that's a small solace.
In closer games against better opponents, this stuff matters. In the loss against Michigan State in Maui, UNC lost the game in overtime by three points. They left five points on the line (16/21). In games that tight, a night shooting free throws like this will lead to an unexpected loss.