iStock_000083515123_Full.jpg

BASKETBALL

North Carolina Looks To Snap Their Two-Game Losing Streak As They Return To Chapel Hill To Host Boston College

North Carolina who has been on the road their last two games and ended up on the losing end  in both contests in Tallahassee against Florida State and in Charlottesville against Virginia will return to Chapel Hill Tuesday when they host Boston College where they hope to snap their two game losing streak.

The Tar Heels play at home for the first time in 2018 on Tuesday, January 9th, against Boston College. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.
• A complete ACC Network station list for the game is on the final page of the game notes.
• Carolina is 12-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. The Eagles are 11-5, 2-2. Both teams played on Jan. 6th. UNC lost, 61-49, at Virginia. BC beat Wake Forest, 77-71, in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles beat No. 1 Duke earlier this season.
• Carolina has lost two games in a row for the first time since February 2016. UNC had won 11 in a row after losses prior to the games at Florida State and Virginia.
• The last time UNC dropped three in a row came in January 2014 when the Tar Heels began ACC play by losing to Wake Forest, Miami and Syracuse.
• Carolina is 20th in the Associated Press poll. This is the 71st straight week UNC is ranked in the AP top 25.
• Two of Carolina's four losses were to Virginia and Michigan State, ranked third and fourth, respectively in the current AP poll.
• Five other UNC opponents are ranked this week – Duke (7), Miami (18), Clemson (19), Tennessee (23) and Florida State (24).
• Joel Berry II (17.9) and Luke Maye (17.1) lead Carolina in scoring. The last time two Tar Heels averaged 17 points or more in the same season was 1983-84 when Michael Jordan (19.6) and Sam Perkins (17.6) were UNC's top scoring duo.
• Berry leads the team in scoring for the first time this season. Maye had led the team in scoring average in each previous game.
• Berry is fifth in the ACC in scoring, free throw percentage (.883) and three-pointers per game (2.6). Maye is second in the league in rebounding (10.4) and sixth in scoring.
• Roy Williams has won 828 games, two shy of tying Mt. St. Mary's Jim Phelan for seventh place in wins by a Division I head coach.
• Berry is one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award (Tyler Hansbrough won the award in 2009). "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx

UNC-BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES
• Carolina leads the series with Boston College, 16-5, including 14-4 since the Eagles joined the ACC.
• Carolina is 5-2 against the Eagles at the Smith Center. The Tar Heels are 7-1 against BC in Conte Forum. 
• The Tar Heels have won the last 10 games and the 14 of the last 16 against the Eagles.
• RoEIGHTH IN THE RPI
• Carolina is No. 8 in the nation in the NCAA's RPI behind Duke, Virginia, Xavier, Seton Hall, Clemson, Villanova and Oklahoma. 
• Carolina's strength of schedule is No. 7 in the country.
• Carolina's first 16 opponents have an average RPI of 94, which is the second toughest in the country. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx


TRENDING...
• Carolina has scored 661 points in the first half and 661 in the second half.
• The Tar Heels are second in the ACC and third in the country in rebounds per game (43.8) and rebound margin (12.1).
• Carolina's rebound margin is its second highest in school history (set the record last year at 12.3 per game).
• Roy Williams' teams have finished in the top 10 nationally in rebound margin in 14 of his previous 29 seasons as a head coach, including ninth, ninth and first in the last three seasons.
• Carolina is seventh in the country in protecting its defensive backboards. The Tar Heels' opponents are rebounding only 22 percent of their own misses. Only Boise State, Liberty, Creighton, Milwaukee, Penn and Vermont are grabbing a higher percentage of the opposition's missed shots.
• On the offensive end, Carolina is 13th in the country in rebounding. The Tar Heels are pulling down 36.7 percent of their own missed shots.
• Carolina has scored 11.2 second chance points over the last five games. UNC averaged 16.3 second chance points in the first 11 games.
• Luke Maye is 12th in the country in defensive rebounds (8.1), 16th in rebounding (10.5) and 20th in double-doubles (8).
• Carolina is hitting 7.9 three-pointers per game, which is the second most in school history. The record is 8.3 per game in 2002-03. Last year, UNC made 7.1 per game. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx


MOST THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE PER GAME
8.3 in 2002-03
7.9 in 2017-18
7.8 in 1994-95
7.6 in 2012-13
7.6 in 2001-02 "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx

• Carolina has scored 85 or more points 10 times (all wins), 90 or more points five times, 100 points twice and has averaged just 62.2 points in its four losses.
• The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent from the floor six times. UNC is shooting 45.8 percent for the season. That includes 49.8 percent in its 12 wins and 33.2 percent in the four losses.
• Carolina ranks 26th nationally in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency and 13th in adjusted defensive efficiency ratings. 
• Carolina has scored 28.8 percent of its points on three-point field goals. That's the second-highest percentage in Roy Williams' 15 seasons as UNC's head coach. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx


SCORING FROM THREE-POINT FGs (last 15 seasons)
29.3 percent – 2012-13
28.8 percent – 2017-18
26.2 percent – 2005-06
25.5 percent – 2004-05
25.3 percent – 2016-17 "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx

• The opponents have out-scored UNC in points off turnovers in six of the last nine games, including an 85-55 edge in the last five games. That includes a 24-12 advantage for the Tar Heels in the 81-80 loss at Florida State and a 25-3 margin for Virginia in Charlottesville.
• Berry has attempted 17.7 field goals over the last six games. He averaged 13.1 shots from the floor in his first nine games this year.
• Luke Maye is 22 for 66 from the floor in the last five games (.333). He shot 56.5 percent from the floor in the first 11 games.
• Kenny Williams made seven three-pointers in the last two games (four at Florida State, three at Virginia). He made a total of three in the previous three games.
• The Tar Heels have made 11 more free throws (247) than the opponents have taken. 
• Joel Berry II and Kenny Williams lead UNC in defensive player of the game awards with five apiece. Berry has won the award in the last two games after Williams won in four of the previous five games. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx


IN THE POLLS
• Carolina is 20th in the Associated Press poll and 18th in the USA Today/Coaches poll that were released on 1/8/18. 
• Carolina is ranked in the AP poll for the 71st consecutive week (last four weeks in 2013-14, all 19 weeks in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 and the first 10 weeks this season).
• Carolina is ranked in the AP poll for the 887th time, most in college basketball history. 
• Carolina and Duke have combined for 244 weeks all-time as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. That's 244 of 300 weeks as No. 1 by every current ACC school.
• The 2017-18 season is the 55th (out of 70) in which the Tar Heels have been ranked in the top 10.
• Carolina was No. 9 in this season's preseason AP poll. It marked the 12th time in Roy Williams' 15 seasons as head coach the Tar Heels entered the year ranked in the top 10. UNC has finished the year in the AP top 10 nine times in Williams' first 14 seasons.y Williams is 14-4 against Boston College (all while head coach at UNC). "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/8/mens-basketball-tar-heels-look-to-bounce-back-vs-bc.aspx

As for North Carolina's previous game, they're coming off a loss on the road in Charlottesville to Virginia.

Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams didn't bother with technical talk after his 12th-ranked Tar Heels lost 61-49 at No. 8 Virginia.
"It was a big ole butt kicking. That's all it was," Williams said. "Their defense was a million times stronger than our offense. We didn't have very good movement." "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball


Devon Hall scored 16 points and the Cavaliers held the Tar Heels to 29.6 percent shooting (16-54) and scored 25 points off 19 UNC turnovers. The point total was the second-lowest of the season for UNC, which scored fewer only in a 63-45 loss to No. 1 Michigan State on Nov. 26. The offensive struggles for Williams' team included converting 19 offensive rebounds into just a dozen points. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball


"Sometimes you recover well, sometimes you get lucky," Hall said. "The guys might have missed open shots." "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

Hall added seven assists for Virginia (14-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), and De'Andre Hunter had 10 points and seven rebounds. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

"He seems to have found his groove right now and I'm really happy for him," Isaiah Wilkins said of Hunter, who led Virginia with 14 points on Wednesday night at Virginia Tech. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

The Cavaliers won their sixth in a row and sent the Tar Heels to consecutive losses for the first time since February 2016. North Carolina lost 81-80 at Florida State on Wednesday night. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

Joel Berry II led North Carolina (12-4, 1-2) with 17 points and Kenny Williams had 11. Scoring leader Luke Maye (19.3 ppg) was limited to six on 2-for-10 shooting. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

"I didn't want him to score," said Wilkins, who guarded Maye much of the game. "I was just trying to frustrate him and things like that." "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

Virginia trailed only briefly and led 35-28 at halftime. The Tar Heels closed it to 54-48 on a tip-in by Cameron Johnson with 7:17 remaining, but Virginia scored the next seven points on baskets by Hunter and Wilkins and a 3-pointer by Ty Jerome. UNC scored only one more point on a free throw by Luke Maye with 3:35 to play. Maye's make came after he airballed the first attempt, drawing jeers. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

"I told Tony (Bennett) that's about as good a defensive game as anybody has played against us, maybe ever, but definitely in a long time," Williams said. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

SCORING D
Virginia had three takeaways near midcourt, which particularly irked Williams, who compared it to giving the Cavaliers a 6-0 lead to start the game. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

The Cavaliers also forced North Carolina into three shot-clock violations, among the moments the crowd at John Paul Jones arena has taken to celebrating wildly. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

Hall had one of the breakaways, which he finished with a dunk, and joked about what he thinks about on such breakaways. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

"Most of the time I'm thinking about which dunk I'm going to do," he said as Wilkins scoffed next to him. "I try to keep it simple and make sure I don't miss it." "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball


BIG PICTURE
North Carolina: The Tar Heels had a 15-0 disadvantage in points off turnovers in the first half after turning it over 10 times, compared with just four for the Cavaliers. They stayed close with a 23-15 rebounding edge that included 10 on the offensive end, but they scored only eight points off those additional opportunities before the break. They finished with 18 turnovers and were outscored 25-3 off giveaways.
Virginia: Jack Salt doesn't typically have an eye-popping stat line, but the junior center made several hustle plays that coach Tony Bennett always references when asked about him. The plays included a steal that led to a run-out basket for Virginia, a block and several tip-outs to keep offensive possessions alive. "according to http://www.goheels.com/news/2018/1/6/mens-basketball-basketball-at-virginia.aspx?path=mbball

As for Boston College  , they came out on top in their last game on Saturday  when they hosted  Wake Forest.

All five starters scored in double-figures as Boston College pulled away from Wake Forest in the second half en route to a 77-71 victory on Saturday at Conte Forum. "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

The Eagles held the Demon Deacons to 29.4% shooting from the floor during the final 20 minutes of play and without a field goal for a 6:23 stretch midway through the period.  BC led 44-43 with 14:08 to play and used an 11-4 push to take its largest lead of the game - eight points - after a Jordan Chatman 3-pointer made it 55-47. "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

BC scored six unanswered - five coming from Jerome Robinson - to push its lead to double figures, at 63-51 with 4:29 to play.  The Eagles held onto that 12-point advantage with 1:10 to play (68-56) before the Demon Deacons' late push saw them hit five 3-pointers over their last eight possessions. "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

In the first half, BC jumped out to a 7-2 lead less than four minutes into the game before Wake Forest used a 16-3 run over a 3:39 to open an eight-point gap, at 18-10 with 12:42 left in the period.  The Eagles responded with a 13-5 push of their own, capped by a Ky Bowman 3-pointer, which tied the game at 23-23 with 7:17 left. There were two lead changes and three ties the rest of the way as both teams hit halftime tied at 35-35. "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

Inside the Box Score

  • Jerome Robinson led all scorers with 25 points.  The junior guard was 6-of-15 from the floor, but made 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and was 10-of-10 from the charity stripe.
  • It is Robinson's third consecutive 20-point game and his fourth in as many ACC games.  The Raleigh, N.C. native has eight 20-point games on the season and 26 for his career.
  • Steffon Mitchell scored 17 points - his second-highest scoring total of the season.  The freshman made 6-of-13 from the floor (1-4 3FG) and 4-of-6 from the foul line.  Mitchell also grabbed five rebounds, blocked four shots, and notched a steal.
  • Ky Bowman registered his third double-double of the season, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He also added three assists, three steals and a blocked shot in 40 minutes.
  • Jordan Chatman added 12 points, knocking down two 3-pointers and 6-of-7 from the FT line.  The junior guard also had a season-high three assists.
  • Nik Popovic had 10 points, seven boards, two assists, and two blocks.
  • For the game, BC connected on 37.3% (22-59) from the floor - including 7-22 from the perimeter.  BC made 26-of-35 from the foul line - including 17-of-23 in the second half.
  • The Eagles defensive effort held Wake Forest to 34.8% shooting from the floor - including 12-43 from inside the arc (27.9%). "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

Notables

  • There were five ties and two lead changes in the game.
  • It marked the sixth time this season that BC had five players reach double digits in the scoring column.  The Eagles are 5-1 in those games.  
  • Robinson's perfect night from the charity stripe - 10-of-10 - was the second time this season in which he was perfect from the line with at least nine attempts. "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

Stat of the Game
14 - Today marked the 14th time in 16 games in which Steffon Mitchell has led Boston College in a statistical category.  The freshman blocked four shots on the afternoon. "according to http://bceagles.com/news/2018/1/6/mbb_wake_recap.aspx

Tip-off is set for 8:00pm from the Dean E. Smith Center. The game will be televised on the ACC Network. "according to http://www.goheels.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball

 

 




 

 

College Basketball, Atlantic Coast ConferenceAbigail BaggettBoston College, North Carolina