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Any momentum the North Carolina Tar Heels may have built by narrowly beating Pitt on Saturday has quickly gone down the drain.
The Tar Heels had a quick turnaround, facing a tough road test at Clemson on Monday. And they failed that test, putting their NCAA Tournament hopes down the drain again in the 85-65 loss to the Tigers. And this one got ugly in the second half.
After North Carolina took a 23-21 lead, Clemson responded by going on a 28-10 run to end the first half and take a 49-33 lead at the break. And they did it on the back of big man Viktor Lakhin who had 20 points including making all four of his three-point attempts in the first half.
UNC had no answer for Lakhin in the first 20 minutes and they struggled to find offense of their own as well, shooting 2-of-8 from the three-point line in that first half. Lakhin finished the game with 22 points and six rebounds.
The second half was much of the same for Clemson.
While UNC was able to limit Lakhin in the final 20 minutes, it was Chase Hunter who took over. He finished the game with 19 points including hitting some big three-pointers in the second half to help Clemson keep their cushion.
The Tar Heels never got into any sort of rhythm offensively, a story we have seen numerous times this season. They were also dominated on the boards as well, struggling to limit the second chances for Clemson and failing to gain some extra possessions of their own.
Clemson out-rebounded UNC 41-28 on the game as the struggles in the post continue for the Tar Heels. The 65 points were down from their season average of 80.2 going into the game. It’s becoming an all too familiar story for North Carolina this season as the struggles continue to mount.
With North Carolina’s chances at the tournament already slim, the Tar Heels now face a must-win situation in pretty much every game the rest of the year. They will stay on the road and face off against Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, looking to turn things around.
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Author : Tar Heels Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-11 02:16:00
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