UNC quits ACC tournament after loss to Florida State

GREENSBORO, NC – North Carolina once again wiped out a double-digit deficit, but failed in the home stretch, losing to 15th Florida State, 69-66, in the semifinals of the ACC tournament Friday night.

The Tar Heels (18-10, 10-6 ACC) followed up 13 points in the first half before using an 11-0 run to take a 51-46 lead midway through the second half. time. The UNC led 64-62 with 3:15 remaining, but then missed their next seven field goal attempts as the Seminoles took a four-point lead and stood to advance to the tournament title game. the ACC against the No.4 seed, Georgia Tech, Saturday. night.

Caleb Love (13 points, 4 of 14 FG) and RJ Davis (7 points, 2 of 10 FG) both took ill-advised shots in the final two minutes and Day’Ron Sharpe missed a pair of free throws with Il 21 seconds remain which would have reduced FSU’s lead to one point. The Tar Heels have missed 11 of their 25 free throw attempts.

UNC, playing their third game in as many days, ran out of energy at the start of Thursday’s 81-73 win over Virginia Tech before finding enough juice to make their charge in the second half. Florida state, on the other hand, was making its playoff debut after COVID-19 issues knocked Duke out of the tournament on Thursday.

UNC shot 33.8% from the ground, including 33.3% at 3 points. Florida State was successful 45.3% of its field goal attempts. The Tar Heels passed their opponent, 42-39, to hold an 18-10 advantage on second chance points.

FSU has committed 18 turnover against 12 for UNC, while maintaining an advantage of 19 to 15 points on turnover.

Walton proves his worth
The UNC offensive is at its best when Kerwin Walton shoots from the perimeter. The first-year winger had a quiet two-round opening in the playoffs, although the Tar Heels’ size advantage at post dampened his 2 of 7 long-range shots. FSU’s length was equally effective in the first half, holding Walton scoreless with just one basket attempt.

When UNC made his charge in the second half, Walton was the catalyst, knocking down a three-point trio in two minutes and two seconds to turn a six-point deficit into a draw at 46-46 with 12:25 for to play. He finished with 11 points and five rebounds.

Kessler struggles
Walker Kessler provided a classic example of the inconsistencies that accompany freshmen working on necessary adjustments, even at this late stage of the season. Two weeks ago, the freshman center was the best player on the pitch against the Seminoles, scoring a career-high 20 points on 9 out of 10 shots with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. This effort earned him a plus / minus ratio of (+11).

In Friday’s rematch, Kessler was provisional at best in his nine minutes, scoring two points and posting three rebounds. He also obtained a minimum team (-13) plus / minus.

Woes of the first half
The Seminoles’ physical perimeter defense frustrated Caleb Love early on, and their small size negated the UNC advantage, which was essential in the ACC tournament victories over Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels’ first assist came with 4:21 left before halftime and that basket was an 18-foot baseline.

UNC missed nine of its first 10 field goals and shot 26.7% for halftime, including a 14.3% 3-point effort (1 of 7). The Tar Heels were 3 of 11 on shots at the rim and even struggled from the free throw line, converting 7 of 14 attempts. They forced 10 turnovers, but couldn’t turn those FSU errors. that in five points.

ACCT Notes
UNC fell to 104-49 all-time in the ACC tournament, including a 42-20 record in Greensboro.

following
The Tar Heels’ first postseason tournament is over and they’ll now look to Selection Sunday to find out their standings and support for the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis. BracketMatrix.com tracks 131 bracket screenings, and the 101 brackets updated from Friday Morning UNC draft as 8 seeds on average.