With simply 18.6 seconds remaining in regulation in opposition to Boston Faculty on Saturday, North Carolina discovered itself in a deep gap. The Tar Heels trailed by 4 factors as a 19.5-point favourite at residence earlier than guard Seth Trimble knocked down a pair of free throws and hit a jumper 5 seconds later after Boston Faculty turned the ball over to power time beyond regulation.
Trimble’s late-game heroics have been a part of the beginning of a near-perfect time beyond regulation interval within the 102-96 win over Boston Faculty. The 13-8 Tar Heels entered the day as one of many “Final 4 In” within the newest Bracketology projections by CBS Sports activities’ Jerry Palm. The Tar Heels shot an ideal 4 of 4 from the sector and knocked down all 4 of their free-throw makes an attempt within the ultimate 5 minutes.
“I do consider within the latter a part of the sport, particularly after we have been down by 4 factors with 18.6 seconds and within the time beyond regulation. I felt like we have been locked in defensively,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis mentioned postgame. “We acquired the stops that we wanted, the deflections, the steals that we wanted to have the ability to get us again within the sport and ultimately have the ability to win it.”
North Carolina All-American guard RJ Davis scored seven of his team-high 22 factors in time beyond regulation and ahead Ven-Allen Lubin made one of many greatest performs of the day for the Tar Heels within the ultimate minute of time beyond regulation. Lubin blocked a shot that might’ve made it a one-possession sport and threw down a two-handed dunk on the opposite finish to keep away from what would have been a disastrous loss.Â
Had North Carolina not rallied vs. Boston Faculty, it might’ve been a Quad 4 loss. The Eagles entered the day ranked No. 231 within the NET Rankings and sat in second-to-last place within the ACC standings behind winless Miami. North Carolina entered the weekend an ideal 7-0 in opposition to Quad 4 groups.
“This group has all the time discovered it,” Davis mentioned. “I believe they’ve discovered it after they have wanted it. And it is wanted on the leap ball, and that is one thing that is simply going to have to alter.”
North Carolina was coming off consecutive one-point losses that pushed themselves from safely “in” the event discipline to on the bubble. The Tar Heels have been on the fitting aspect of a dramatic one-point win earlier this season when guard Elliot Cadeau accomplished a 4-point play in a street win over Notre Dame. That win over the Combating Irish was the beginning of a four-game profitable streak that included wins over SMU, NC State and Cal.
The Tar Heels’ season — and NCAA Match hopes — might be outlined by their upcoming four-game stretch, which incorporates video games in opposition to Pitt (twice), Duke and Clemson. If historical past repeats itself, North Carolina may discover themselves on one other profitable streak and within the NCAA Match discipline, but it surely will not be simple for the Tar Heels going ahead.