What went right and wrong in UNC’s win against Miami
The UNC men’s basketball program escaped a choke job Saturday, washing away the Miami Hurricanes late-game surge.
It wasn’t a pretty win for the Tar Heels, nevertheless a victory was the result of keeping UNC in the driver’s seat of the ACC. UNC got off to a great start in both halves, but not finishing out those periods gave Miami a chance.
In the first period, Miami went on multiple runs in the final three minutes, giving Miami the lead at the half. The second-period collapse came from UNC’s four-minute drought to end the game, where the team failed to score a field goal.
A lot went wrong in the final four minutes, and turnovers played a huge role, with UNC committing 16 turnovers, resulting in 22 points from Miami. The inconsistency in ACC refereeing also played a role in controversial calls.
In the end, the refs ended up helping UNC in the final seconds, calling a lane violation on an out-of-bounds play that would’ve given Miami a chance to tie it. Instead, the Tar Heels were still victorious, and here’s why.
UNC had it going from three, hitting 11 shots from behind the arch (35.5%), their most since their win against Charleston Southern. The Tar Heels also got significant contributions from Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, and Elliot Cadeau.
Bacot was a force on the glass, grabbing 15 rebounds (four offensively) while taking advantage of every look, scoring 62% from the field (5/7). Davis continued his Player of the Year campaign finishing with 25 points for the eighth time this season. Cadeau played a huge role in UNC’s offensive attack, pouring in 19 points(career high) and eight assists.
It wasn’t the finish UNC imagined, but a win is a win, improving UNC to 19-5 (11-2 in the ACC).
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