After getting down by 16 in the first half, North Carolina rallied to take a one-point lead in the second half but couldn’t overcome Iowa’s three-pointers and their own turnovers as the Hawkeyes beat the Tar Heels 93-80 in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. (12/8)
Iowa drilled 17 three-pointers while Carolina turned the ball over 18 times. There was a 33-point difference between the two teams from beyond the arc as the Heels hit six. And there was a 14-point difference in points after turnovers as Iowa scored 23 points off turnovers while Carolina had just nine.
For the third time in the last three games, the Tar Heels fell behind early. Iowa sank seven three-point shots in the first seven minutes of the game, getting out to a commanding 25-9 lead.
“We didn’t guard the three-point shot and they happened to make a bunch of ’em,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “We thought we had the advantage inside but four of our first five shots were outside shots.”
Still down by 12 points at the half, 43-31, Carolina came out of the lockerroom on fire in the second half. Riding a 14-5 run, the Heels cut the lead to three at 48-45 with just four minutes gone in the second half.
By the midway point of the second half, UNC had taken the lead at 66-65 after a pair of R.J. Davis free throws. “We turned the ball over and took a bad shot after we took a one-point lead,” Coach Williams said.
The Heels led 68-67 after an Andrew Platek baseline drive but Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon, who led all scorers with 24 points, hit a deep, open three to start a 14-0 Hawkeye run.
Carolina never really challenged after that.
“If we had come out in the first half the way we came out in the second half, we would have won,” UNC’s Davis said. “It’s still early in the season – we have a lot of potential.”
Eleven of Carolina’s turnovers were committed by freshmen, including seven by guards Davis and Caleb Love.
“It’s time to stop talking about them being freshmen,” Coach Williams said. “They’ve played five games and 36 practices so they’ve got to stop turning the ball over.”
The Tar Heels shot better than the Hawkeyes 47 to 44 percent but the three-point differential more than made up for that. And the Tar Heels outrebounded the Hawkeyes 47-38 but points off turnovers and second chance points more than made up for that.
Carolina, now 3-2, had five players in double figures as Garrison Brooks led the way with 17 points followed by Day’Ron Sharpe with 13, Davis with 12, Love with 11 and Platek with 10.
For a boxscore and more on the game, please click here.