Off the cuff: Being positive all the time can be annoying. If there were ever a time to be critical of his team's execution and his own coaching, the Alabama four-overtime loss would have been it. But Coach Davis drones on about being positive and proud of his players for competing. This isn't Biddy League basketball. You don't get awards for participating at this level.
Last year when Carolina fans were ragging on Coach Davis during the Heels mid-season swoon, I was supportive and generally gave him the benefit of the doubt. But this team should be better than it is. And, while I don't do a lot of second guessing about plays called and the like, the late-game execution in regulation and the overtimes was horrendous.
It wasn't just the players' fault either. Specifically, having Love dribble the ball the entire last 30 seconds of the first overtime, settling for a wild three at the buzzer was egregious.
I understand and agree with Coach Davis that Carolina players missed mid-range and long-range shots they normally hit. He seemed to understand his squad was off a bit and had them drive to the hoop in the third overtime. Three drives resulted in six points and a 95-89 lead.
That should have been the end of it. But the Tar Heels missed their last seven shots of the third overtime, most from medium and long range, and it went to a fourth overtime.
I know I was spoiled watching Dean Smith coach in late-game situations. I used to say, "we've got the ball, we've got the lead and we've got Dean Smith. It's over."
The game has certainly changed since then but Carolina, an experienced team, had a lot of opportunities to win that game and they didn't. Coming off the loss to Iowa State, it especially stings.
As I mentioned, the game has certainly changed and Carolina looked more like an NBA team than the Tar Heels of old. In particular, Love hoisted up 36 shots and made only 13 of them. Love, who played an amazing 58 minutes, was aggressive and had a hot streak but his shot selection was suspect - much like NBA players who rely on talent (and the entertainment factor) rather than strong fundamental basketball.
The players' execution and the coaches' late-game play decisions were bad but so was the officiating throughout the game.
While most agree that it was close to goaltending but that it appeared the ball was not descending, the call would have stood had it been earlier in the game. I don't understand why they only seem to care about "getting it right" when it's a late-game situation. An incorrect out-of-bounds call or failing to make a three-seconds call earlier in the game, for instance, could make just as big a difference in the game's outcome. By the way, there were players in the lane for more than three seconds several times and it was never called.
Further, I understand that the officials, once making the "inadvertent whistle" call, had to go to the possession arrow to determine possession, but that rule should change to giving the ball back to the team that last possessed the ball prior to the inadvertent whistle.
As an aside, this game tied for the longest in Carolina basketball history with the 1976 Tulane game that the Tar Heels won - on the same date.
Alabama 103, Carolina 101 Heels can't put away Alabama in 4 OTs
North Carolina had plenty of opportunities to beat Alabama in regulation and at the end of each overtime but the Tide found a way to defeat the Tar Heels 103-101 in a controversial four-overtime game. (11/27)
Carolina lost its second game in a row in the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland in heartbreaking style in a game that will be remembered as the one where a goaltending call was reversed to the detriment of the Tar Heels.
It appeared that the Tar Heels had taken a 103-102 with nine seconds left in the fourth overtime as Caleb Love scored on a goaltending call. But after several minutes of watching replays, the officials said there was no goaltending and that since neither team had possession when the "inadvertent whistle" came, it would go to the possession arrow. Guess which team had the arrow.
After UNC's Seth Trimble bothered the inbounds pass, Bama lost the ball out of bounds and the Tar Heels still had a chance with eight seconds left. After a timeout, Carolina's Pete Nance had trouble getting the ball in and finally turned it over on the inbounds pass.
After Alabama's Jaden Bradley hit one of two free throws, the Tar Heels still had a chance to win as R.J. Davis had a long three-point shot go awry, much to the dismay of the Carolina bench which thought Davis was fouled on the shot.
"For whatever reason the ball didn't bounce our way. That's life," UNC coach Hubert Davis said. "When things don't go your way, I told the team, you have a choice. You can whine and complain and make excuses and stay down or you can get back up and compete and fight."
Trailing 37-34 at the half, the Tar Heels went on an 8-0 midway through the second half to go up 63-55 after a Caleb Love floater with 9:29 to go.
Alabama, on the strength of four three pointers over four minutes, drew to a 71-71 tie. With it tied at 77, each team had a chance to win it in the last 30 seconds but a shot by each team failed.
Neither team did much in the first overtime as Love missed a three late that would have broken an 81-81 tie and won it for the Heels.
"Late clock execution is something that's got to improve," Coach Davis said. "A lot of it comes down to does the ball go in or not. We had a number of looks in those situations - mid-range jump shots and threes - that we normally make. We just didn't make it."
Pete Nance blocked a shot late in the second overtime and Love barely missed a three-quarters court shot at the buzzer to send it to a third overtime at 89-all.
Three drives to the basket by Love, Davis and Nance put the Heels up 95-89 in the third overtime but, once again, Carolina couldn't close it out. UNC's Davis won has hit more than 95 percent of his free throws missed one midway through this overtime that would ended up being the difference.
Alabama's Brandon Miller hit a three and Jahvon Quinerly tied it with free throws at 96-96 with 28 seconds left. Once again, UNC's Love got off a shot at the buzzer that fell short, setting up the game-deciding fourth overtime.
Love had a career-high 34 points to lead Carolina but he hit only 13 of 36 shots and managed only three of 11 from beyond the arc. Bacot, despite being in foul trouble most of the game and injuring his ankle in the second half, had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Davis missed two-thirds of his shots on the way to 19 points. Others in double figures were Leaky Black and Puff Johnson with 10 each.
Alabama, now 6-1, was led by Mark Sears' 24 points. Sears, who had been shooting only 37.5 percent on the season, hit eight of 13 shots including seven of 11 three-point attempts.
Carolina, 5-2, travels to No. 11 Indiana Wednesday at 9:15 p.m.
