No. 3 North Carolina remembers its loss against N.C. State at the RBC Center last season. And the Tar Heels wouldn’t let it happen again as they answered the hostile environment with an 84-70 win over the Wolfpack Wednesday night.
The Pack started the game with an early first half lead, however, State struggled in the second half and never had much of a chance late in the game.
Junior forward Ben McCauley said the team stopped playing defense during the last three minutes of the first half and the Heels took advantage — allowing UNC to go on a roll in the second half.
“If we just did what we did in that first 17 minutes of the first half, we’ll be fine,” McCauley said. “Executed, took our time and got the ball inside — got the ball outside. We were playing a great game. It’s disappointing we didn’t do that in the second half.”
Senior forward Gavin Grant said he couldn’t explain the team’s play in the second half.
“It just seems to be a team thing with us. We just can’t seem to play the right way,” Grant said. “Or play hard, or play tough, and physical and smart for 40 minutes.”
Grant led the team with 17 points and three rebounds. Freshman center J.J. Hickson had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks while junior guard Courtney Fells finished with 10 points.
Hickson said the inconsistent play has been the main problem with the team this season.
“It’s been the story of this basketball team all year,” Hickson said. “We come out good in the first half and play together. And then in the second half, we just come out flat. It’s the ACC, you can’t win games like that.”
Despite not having sophomore point guard Ty Lawson, who has been out with an ankle injury since Feb. 3, the Heels have been able to win without him. Junior forward Tyler Hansbrough led the Heels with 32 points and 12 rebounds while guard Wayne Ellington had 21 points and 8 rebounds.
Coach Sidney Lowe said Hansbrough caused problems for the Pack the entire game.
“Obviously since Lawson has been out, [Hansbrough’s] picked it up even more,” Lowe said. “He’s just one of those guys that is not going to give in. He’s not going to allow you to take him out of the game, which means you have to be even tougher.”
Lowe said the team knows and understands what it has to do in the second half of games, but said it’s just not clicking.
“The thing is the response,” Lowe said. “It’s not whether you’re getting knocked down, it’s whether you get up. Right now, we’re not getting up. I don’t think they’re looking for it. And yeah, it’s frustrating. We’ve been through it before and you like to see some improvement where it doesn’t happen time after time. At some point, it will click it.”
State has not won a game since Feb. 5, when it defeated Virginia Tech. Now 4-8 in the ACC, the Pack is seeing its NCAA Tournament hopes slipping away.
With four games remaining, including a rematch against No. 4 Duke on March 1, State will have to win all of its remaining games, according to Grant.
“Every game you come out to play to win,” he said. “Nothing’s changed. Just because you lose a few games, you play every game to win.”
