The No. 20 North Carolina men’s basketball team must be feeling pretty lucky right now.
After playing a close, back-and-forth affair with a scrappy Notre Dame team for the whole game, the Tar Heels (14-4, 3-2 ACC) found themselves with the ball, trailing 68-67, to the undermanned Fighting Irish (13-5, 3-2 ACC). Just four seconds remained on the shot clock, and 10.9 seconds were left in the game.
Conducting an out-of-bounds play from the baseline, Joel Berry II tried to lob the ball up to Sterling Manley for the go-ahead bucket. Manley caught the ball in traffic and took a rushed, off-balance midrange shot from the free-throw line. Berry caught the airball shot and attempted a putback. Although he missed the shot, Berry was fouled by T.J. Gibbs Jr. in the act. The senior, who shoots 89 percent from the line, made two clutch free throws and gave UNC a 69-68 edge with 7.1 seconds left.
Following Berry’s timely free throws, Gibbs dribbled the ball down the full length of the court and threw up a circus shot that bounced off the rim. The rebound fell directly back into his hands. He took his second chance opportunity, but the ball hung on the rim for what felt like an eternity, and ultimately rolled off, allowing the Tar Heels to escape South Bend with the win.
For now, UNC can breathe a sigh of relief for surviving a nail-biter in a hostile environment. However, the game showcased some causes for concern as the Tar Heels dive deeper into a challenging ACC schedule.
UNC struggled against a team that was missing its two best players in Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell. Colson, who suffered a left foot fracture earlier this month, was having a strong start to his senior campaign, leading Notre Dame in both scoring (21.4 per game) and rebounding (10.4 per game). Farrell, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, was also a key player for the Fighting Irish. He was the team’s second leading scorer (15.9 points per game) and the team’s leader in assists (5.1 per game). Without these two integral players, Notre Dame still managed to hang in the game and almost snuck away with an upset victory.
Even though UNC entered the game with the top rebounding margin in the country (a +12.2 average), it struggled on the boards and was outrebounded, 45-37. The Tar Heels' defensive effort was suspect, leading to open 3-pointers and easy layups. The Fighting Irish shot 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, which was pivotal in keeping the game close.
While UNC can relish over its first ACC road win of the season, these problems need to be corrected. With a tough slate up ahead including a home game against No. 19 Clemson on Tuesday night, the Tar Heels will have little time to find a solution. If not fixed, these issues could take a toll with a tough conference schedule on the horizon.
