Five takeaways from UNC basketball losing late Friday lead to Georgia

It finally happened…and not in a way Tar Heel Nation likes. On Friday night against Georgia, the UNC men’s basketball team lost a late lead and its first game of season, 78-70.

North Carolina (3-1) trailed by seven points at halftime, then roared back to take a 9-point lead midway through the second half. UGA (4-0) slowly started chipping away, re-taking the lead at 69-68 on a Kanon Catchings free throw. The Tar Heels cut their deficit to two points on a Sayon Keita dunk, then the Bulldogs scored the game’s final six points for a big road win.

Advertisement

UNC shot poorly from the field, making just 33 percent of its shots. North Carolina struggled particularly from deep, sinking only nine of 38 attempts. Read that second number: 38. UGA also shot under 40 percent overall as a team, but made 39 percent of its 3-point attempts.

The Tar Heels lost the rebounding battle again, a problem that has to be fixed if they want to beat higher-quality opponents like the Bulldogs. UNC grabbed 16 offensive rebounds to 18 for Georgia, a welcomed improvement, but allowed Catchings to record a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Terrence Brown continued showing why he’ll be a valuable piece for North Carolina this season, scoring a team-high 21 points. Neo Avdalas played much better, scoring 14 points and stealing the basketball twice, but his four turnovers marked a game-high.

The Tar Heels have an entire week off before returning to the court, when they host Sun Belt opponent Marshall University at 9 p.m. on November 20. Until then, read our top five takeaways from the Georgia loss.

Advertisement

Perimeter defensive struggles loomed large

Nov 13, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Matt Able (3) gaurds Georgia Bulldogs forward Kanon Catchings (6) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Perimeter defense is a long-standing issue for UNC. On Friday night, the Tar Heels allowed Georgia to make 14 3-pointers, which accounted…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/five-takeaways-unc-basketball-losing-200818013.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-11-14 20:08:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.