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MILWAUKEE, WI., — North Carolina's rollercoaster of a season came to an end on Friday at the hands of Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. And it was a familiar feeling for the Tar Heels.
After falling behind by double-digits in the first half and trailing 44-26 at halftime, things looked gloomy for North Carolina. They weren't hitting shots, they were giving up open looks, and struggling overall defensively.
And like we saw against Florida and Duke earlier in the year, they battled back and even cut the lead down to two with over a minute to go. Then Sean Pedulla hit a big three-pointer after UNC struggled with another screen and that was the end of the comeback.
Heartbreak. Deja-vu. Disappointment. Those were just some of the ways to describe how the game ended and it was another tough loss overall.
"I don't know. I think with this team, it took a lot of guys -- I mean, it took us. It took us being hit first," Seth Trimble said. "A lot of times, I think it was just as simple as that. That's why a lot of games these first halves, we get down with these heavy leads, we get buried deep and we dig a hole for ourselves that we've really got to climb out. It's because we had to get hit first. We tried to overcome it. We recognized it the whole year. We tried to learn from it and grow from it, but I don't know. It just happened today. I think we did, but it was unfortunate that it happened today."
Too many times this season the Tar Heels fell behind, often by double digits. While they battled back to make it a close game, it wasn't enough. Even with the Tar Heels making a furious comeback, they struggled at the rim going 10-of-21 on shots at the rim. That included a span of missing three on two straight possessions.
UNC also couldn't buy a bucket in the final 1:30 when they trailed by two. They had chances to tie the game or take the lead but went 0-for-6 in that final 1:30 of the game. It was another scoring drought that impacted their game and season.
That's simply the story of the season, and the players recognize that.
"Yep, I mean if there had to be one end to the season that would be it. That would be it," Trimble said. "We can't do anything about it now. I'm super proud of this team and how we persevered all year and how we came together. If I could go back to two hours ago and try to do this game over again I would. But that's not how life works."
It's hard to find an answer as to why that kept happening. And now, as the season comes to an end, one has to wonder what could have been if they had just found a way to get out to hot starts and impose their will on opponents and not the other way around.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball's loss to Ole Miss was an ode to a disappointing season
Continue reading...
After falling behind by double-digits in the first half and trailing 44-26 at halftime, things looked gloomy for North Carolina. They weren't hitting shots, they were giving up open looks, and struggling overall defensively.
And like we saw against Florida and Duke earlier in the year, they battled back and even cut the lead down to two with over a minute to go. Then Sean Pedulla hit a big three-pointer after UNC struggled with another screen and that was the end of the comeback.
Heartbreak. Deja-vu. Disappointment. Those were just some of the ways to describe how the game ended and it was another tough loss overall.
"I don't know. I think with this team, it took a lot of guys -- I mean, it took us. It took us being hit first," Seth Trimble said. "A lot of times, I think it was just as simple as that. That's why a lot of games these first halves, we get down with these heavy leads, we get buried deep and we dig a hole for ourselves that we've really got to climb out. It's because we had to get hit first. We tried to overcome it. We recognized it the whole year. We tried to learn from it and grow from it, but I don't know. It just happened today. I think we did, but it was unfortunate that it happened today."
Too many times this season the Tar Heels fell behind, often by double digits. While they battled back to make it a close game, it wasn't enough. Even with the Tar Heels making a furious comeback, they struggled at the rim going 10-of-21 on shots at the rim. That included a span of missing three on two straight possessions.
UNC also couldn't buy a bucket in the final 1:30 when they trailed by two. They had chances to tie the game or take the lead but went 0-for-6 in that final 1:30 of the game. It was another scoring drought that impacted their game and season.
That's simply the story of the season, and the players recognize that.
"Yep, I mean if there had to be one end to the season that would be it. That would be it," Trimble said. "We can't do anything about it now. I'm super proud of this team and how we persevered all year and how we came together. If I could go back to two hours ago and try to do this game over again I would. But that's not how life works."
It's hard to find an answer as to why that kept happening. And now, as the season comes to an end, one has to wonder what could have been if they had just found a way to get out to hot starts and impose their will on opponents and not the other way around.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball's loss to Ole Miss was an ode to a disappointing season
Continue reading...
