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UNC Capitalizes on Charlotte's Blunder to Win Exhibition Finale
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- UNC Capitalizes on Charlotte's Blunder to Win Exhibition Finale
(IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect)
The North Carolina Tar Heels didn't expect to go to overtime against Charlotte, but history once again repeated itself on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The 49ers enjoyed a 15-point first-half lead, but that would quickly fade once UNC got into a rhythum.
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This game stayed close for quite some time, but undoubtedly the biggest moment of the game was the technical foul called against Charlotte with under 20 seconds remaining.
UNC trailed, 78-77, and the 49ers tried to call a timeout with 16.9 seconds remaining in regulation. The problem? They were out of timeouts.
A technical foul was called, and with a chance to put the game away, Terrance Brown only made one of his two free throws.
The game was tied, went to overtime, but that's where UNC ran away with it.
Charlotte missed its final seven shots while the Tar Heels were a perfect 4-for-4 and closed out the game on a 9-0 run.
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It was far from the prettiest win to close out exhibition play, but UNC prevailed, 89-82 .
Tar Heels overcame a 15-point deficit
Trailing by 15 points in the first half could've signaled the end right there, but UNC was able to lock in and make sure this one didn't get ugly early.
In theory, Michael Malone's squad would've never been in that position to begin with, but these are the things that he'd rather see happen in their third exhibition game rather than in the regular season when there's little-to-no-room for error.
UNC's schedule gives them a bit of leeway for the first six-or-so games, but then it's go time. If they don't use this Charlotte game as a wake-up call, they could be in for a rude awakening on Tuesday, Dec. 1 against No. 12 Arkansas, or even on Friday, Nov. 27 in the Duke Vitale Invitational against West Virginia.
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Biggest stars from the win
Brown may not have put the game on ice with his free throws, but he still led the way with 27 points and shot 9-for-18 (50%).
Neo Avdalas led the way with nine rebounds and five assists, adding a respectable 16 points as well.
Both Sayon Keita and Jarin Stevenson scored 12 points each, and then Jaydon Young dropped 11, all of which came in the second-half.
Charlotte made more free throws (14) than UNC attempted (13), and the 49ers shot 44.6% from the field in this one. It's worth noting that number was dragged down by a horrific overtime performance, so it's clear Malone has his work cut out for him regarding this defense.
