North Carolina Tar Heels @ Miami Hurricanes Basketball Recap

North Carolina 74, Miami 71

There are always two sides to the coin in sports. On one hand, the North Carolina Tar Heels remained in the upper tier of the ACC standings and, at least for the moment, stayed tied with rival Duke in the loss column. On the other hand, the Miami Hurricanes lost a heartbreaker in the final minutes on their home court, as a battleground matchup tilted in the direction of the old-money program and not the upstart from a school that is better known for its football.

Coach Frank Haith’s Hurricanes, coming off losses to NC State in Raleigh and Florida State at home in the past week, were desperate to improve their 1-4 ACC record coming into the game Wednesday night at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Six of the Hurricanes’ eight losses – including this game - have come by five points or less. In other words, it’s been a typical year for UM basketball, an outfit that doesn’t pull in the best talent and can’t catch a break between the painted lines on gamedays.

UNC, for its part, was coming off a 10-point home win over Clemson and relishing the fact that so many traditional ACC powers – Maryland, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest – are so thoroughly mediocre this season. Roy Williams’ squad has not played up to North Carolina’s expectations, but because of the weakened state of the ACC, the Tar Heels have been able to stay in the conference race. The team was finally healthy on Wednesday, welcoming back point guard Kendall Marshall and teammate Reggie Bullock.

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Miami hit six of its first eight 3-point attempts on the way to a 14 point lead over the Tar Heels midway through the first half, but Williams ordered perimeter pressure on defense and his players settled down for the remainder of the half in response. The energy of the Heels enabled them to go to the locker room with the score tied 39-39. Both teams shot well in the first half, UNC at 58.1 percent and Miami with 53.6 percent.

The lead changed hands 13 times in the second half, with neither team trailing by more than four points. Carolina trailed 71-69 with 1:22 remaining when freshman Harrison Barnes hit a jumper to tie the game; after UM’s Reggie Johnson missed with 43 seconds on the clock, Carolina took the ball and, as the shot clock expired with seven seconds left in the game, Barnes landed a huge three to break the tie and give the Tar Heels the final push they so desperately needed. Miami was left at the altar again, a common scene in ACC hoops over the years.

North Carolina was led by Barnes with 13 points, followed by Dexter Strickland with 12 points, hitting six of seven from the field. Tyler Zeller had nine points, and John Henson, Marshall, Justin Knox, and Bullock had eight points each.

Miami had five players in double figures, Durant Scott with 18 (four of five 3-pointers), Malcolm Grant with 17, Adrian Thomas and Garrius Adams with 12, and Johnson with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer