Despite some poor defense, the Heels put away the Spartans to improve to 9-1.
While it was far from a comfortable win, the Tar Heels were able put away USC Upstate 80-62 to improve their record to 9-1.
Everything started off as one would expect this afternoon with UNC jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes. The Spartans woke up after falling behind the 8-ball, though, and answered by 7-3 run of their own. Things got really interesting after USC Upstate took a 21-18 lead after a made three-pointer from Tyler Smith, and from there this game felt less like likely win and more like a game that the Heels would have to work to survive. This was mostly because the Spartans were able to shoot effectively from three-point territory despite the fact that most of their looks inside were shut down by UNC’s size. Regardless, the Heels went on a 12-0 run to regain the lead, and were fortunate enough to go into halftime with a 37-28 lead.
In the second half, everything felt more or less like a stalemate for the remaining 20 minutes. The Spartans cooled off a little from the perimeter, but they were still able to score enough to stay in the game. Caleb Wilson took over the game by scoring 12 of his 20 game-high points while pulling down five rebounds. The Spartans were committed to double-teaming him whenever he got the ball on the baseline, and he did a great job finding his teammates on the perimeter so that the open man could drain a shot. More and more his game has continued to impress Carolina fans as well as NBA scouts. ACC teams will have a really hard time dealing with him in conference play, especially with Henri Veesaar being a big threat in the post as well.
With 4:19 left in the game, USC Upstate’s Isaiah Skinner knocked down a three-pointer to bring the Spartans within eight. Jonathan Powell responded by knocking down a three of his own, which sparked a 12-2 run to end the game. Prior to USC Upstate’s final basket, they went almost four minutes without scoring thanks to UNC clamping down on defense.
The most shocking part of today’s game is that the Spartans were able to rebound effectively against the Tar Heels. They were able to pull down 11 offensive rebounds, which is more than you’d expect considering the fact that UNC is the biggest team in the country. It felt like the energy on the boards today left a lot to be desired, but thankfully this team is talented enough to where it didn’t result cause more problems than it did. Something tells me Hubert Davis is going to have a lot to say after the game about the issue both to the media and during practice, but it felt more like an annoying today issue than it did something to be concerned about long-term.
On a positive note, Jonathan Powell had his best game of the season, finishing with 17 points, a rebound, and two steals. He went 3-6 from the arc, which is a welcomed sight considering the fact that he went 1-5 against Georgetown. His performance was a reminder that this team has quite a few shooters, it’s just whether or not they will have it on a nightly basis. The hope is that Powell can become a reliable threat off the bench as we get deeper into ACC play, especially with the way that teams are playing Veesaar and Wilson in the post.
Overall, this was an OK performance from the Tar Heels, but things could’ve went a lot better defensively. They’ll have a few days to regroup before facing off against East Tennessee this Tuesday in the Dean Dome.
Category: General Sports
