Recap: Cole Anthony's return can't carry UNC past Boston College in narrow 71-70 loss

Despite Cole Anthony's return, the North Carolina men’s basketball team (10-11, 3-7 ACC) fell 71-70 to Boston College (11-11, 5-6 ACC) thanks to shooting woes. 

What happened?

Although the Tar Heels started hot within the first five minutes with junior forward Garrison Brooks scoring four of the team’s six points, Boston College quickly took the lead and set the tone for the next stretch. Or so they thought. 

After the five-minute mark, UNC came out firing on all cylinders once first-year guard Cole Anthony stepped onto the court for the first time since undergoing knee surgery in December. Fans gave him a standing ovation, and the Dean Smith Center came alive, the loudest it has been all season. 

However, the energy soon stalled. North Carolina found itself tied at 14 with Boston College midway through the first half with Brooks and first-year forward Armando Bacot leading the team at four points a piece. 

The Tar Heels showed glimpses of smooth ball movement, stealing ball after another from Boston College. They even went on a 5-0 run to take the lead with under three minutes to go in the first half. But it didn’t last long as Boston College ran towards the locker rooms with a 32-30 lead. The score always remained close, neither team having more than a five-point lead throughout the remainder of the first half.  

Boston College came out in the second half filled with determination. They blocked rebounds, not giving much moving room for UNC to be able to take a shot. The Eagles pulled away with an early seven-point lead, the largest of the night thus far, within the first four minutes of the second half.  

The seven-point lead soon became 10 despite Anthony making his first 3-pointer of the night with just over 14 minutes to go. UNC picked up the pace, which only led to sloppy mistakes, and Boston College kept extending its lead. 

But around halfway through the second period, UNC started to pull itself together. Anthony was suddenly leading the team with 15 points, and Bacot followed closely behind with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

Suddenly, the game seemed to be within North Carolina’s reach. A 3-pointer by senior Brandon Robinson cut the Eagles’ lead in half, bringing fans to their feet and edge of their seats. But it wasn’t enough in the end, and the Eagles escaped with a 71-70 win.

Who stood out?

The bigs seemed to dominate early on, while the rest of the team struggled to come alive. Brooks came out firing from the start. In a two-minute stretch, the junior took six shots, making two baskets. Bacot led the team with eight points heading into the half, going 4-4 in free throws. By the end of the evening, the two totaled 21 points.    

Anthony had an interesting return to the court. In the first half, he went 0-4 in the paint and 0-2 from the 3-point range. However, he had six points from going 6-6 from the free throw line. By the end of the game, Anthony went 14-14 in free throws to bring his point total to 26. 

Robinson played a crucial role in ball movement throughout the second half. He totaled 12 points and four fouls before he was injured with 17 seconds to go. Teammates Walker Miller and Brandon Huffman carried the senior off of the court as fans booed the replays of the collision. 

When was it decided?

The Eagles gave UNC a run for its money at the opening of the second half, pulling away with a seven-point lead within the opening minutes. It soon became a battle of teams exchanging tight leads and many, many fouls. The game ultimately came down to the final seconds as both teams repeatedly missed free throws.  

Why does it matter?

Despite having a 1-6 start to ACC play, UNC came into the Saturday evening matchup against Boston College with two consecutive wins under its belt. In addition to the back-to-back wins over Miami and N.C. State, first-year star Anthony found himself back out on the court for the first time since December. 

While his return gave a brief moment of hope for North Carolina fans, it wasn’t enough to seal a third straight ACC victory. It’s the first time that the Tar Heels have fallen to Boston College since 2010.

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels will travel down to Tallahassee, Fl. on Monday to take on Florida State at 7 p.m.

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