North Carolina fought adversity before the season, during the season and in the last game of season.

With a key player sidelined by injury and players in foul trouble, the Tar Heels came from behind to take an eight-point lead late, only to see Iowa State hit seven of its last eight shots to eliminate UNC from the NCAA Tournament 85-83. (3/23)

The last shot, by Iowa State’s DeAndre Kane, came with 1.6 seconds left to win it.

UNC’s James Michael McAdoo had hit two free throws with 15.7 seconds left to tie the score before Kane hit a driving, high-off-the-backboard shot that won it.

What made the loss even more devastating for Carolina was a clock snafu after the Kane shot and the fact that officials didn’t see UNC coach Roy Williams calling for a timeout. After several minutes of viewing the video, officials said that the game clock should have started and didn’t and proclaimed the game over.

UNC senior Leslie McDonald said that “it hit us hard” that the Heels didn’t get a chance to score after Iowa State’s late bucket but neither he nor Williams blamed the officials. “Kane just hit an unbelievable shot,” McDonald said.

McAdoo, who now must endure the speculation that he might go pro, agreed. “We played it really well. He just hit a tough shot,” McAdoo said.

Kane dominated much of the game, scoring a game-high 24 points. But it took a pair of threes by ISU’s Naz Long late to put Kane in the situation to win it.

“They made plays down the stretch that they needed to make,” Williams said.

North Carolina’s Bryce Johnson played only two minutes before twisting his ankle and having to sit out the rest of the game.

For more on the game, please click here.