University of North Carolina Athletics
Joel Berry never thought of a timeout during NCSU's 19-0 run.
Photo by: J.D. Lyon Jr.
GoHeels Exclusive: No Panic
February 11, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers
by Pat James, GoHeels.com
RALEIGH — Joel Berry II received the inbounds pass each time and immediately dribbled down the court, the thought of a timeout never crossing his mind.
Moments earlier, North Carolina led N.C. State by 10 points during Saturday's first half. But in the nearly seven minutes of chaos that followed, the Tar Heels missed 13 straight shots and the Wolfpack capitalized with a 19-0 run. All the while, Roy Williams stood on the sideline, his arms crossed as he stared down his team.
Berry didn't expect anything different. No matter how large N.C. State's lead grew or how deafening PNC Arena became, Berry knew Williams wouldn't waste a timeout. Nor, in Berry's opinion, should he have.
"When a team gets like that and they're making runs like that, that's when you want to attack them," Berry said, "because they're celebrating, they're not going to play as hard, they feel like they've got the momentum going and things are just going to happen.
"Next thing you know, we hit them right back in the mouth."
Williams' strategy paid off. The Tar Heels responded with a 7-0 run to close the first half, and buoyed by Luke Maye's 27 second-half points, they withstood the Wolfpack's run for a 96-89 win, their second in less than 24 hours.
UNC also missed 13 shots in a row during the second half of Thursday's win over Duke. Yet the final minutes of that emotional victory didn't consist of as many twists and turns as Saturday's first half.
Behind a 9-0 run, the Tar Heels seized a 14-7 lead before N.C. State tied the game at 16 with a 9-2 spurt. UNC answered with a 12-2 run. But out of a timeout, a 3-pointer by Braxton Beverly ignited the Wolfpack's 19-0 surge, which included seven straight points by Torin Dorn.
The 19 unanswered points marked the most by a Tar Heel opponent since Notre Dame scored 15 straight in the 2015 ACC Tournament championship game.
Unlike he did then, Williams refused to call a timeout Saturday.
"I told them, 'I am not going to bail you out. You've dug this daggum hole, so play,'" he said. "I chewed them out because it was stupidity that caused part of it. I said, 'If you do what I tell you to do, it'll work and we'll be there at the end of the half and we'll have a chance.'"
Down 37-28, UNC scored the last seven points of the first half and entered the break trailing by two. The Tar Heels carried their momentum into the second half, when they scored on seven straight possessions to seize the lead for good and eventually improve to 28-4 all-time against N.C. State under Williams.
After the game, Berry sat in the locker room, talking about how UNC's chemistry has strengthened in recent weeks. Perhaps the team's three-game losing streak influenced that. But no matter why, the Tar Heels, winners of three straight, finally appear to be clicking.
That might be most evident in the second halves of games.
Over the last four contests, they've averaged 49.7 points in the second half, compared to 38.2 in the first. In putting away the Wolfpack, UNC shot 78.1 percent in the second half, its highest percentage in a half under Williams.
There's still more room to improve. But late in the first half Saturday, when Williams said his team "needed to grow up," the Tar Heels showed signs of maturation.
"No matter where we go from here, no matter who we play, teams make runs," Cameron Johnson said. "The great teams can weather those runs and turn them into something positive. Teams that don't have as good of a win-loss record take those runs and kind of shut down.
"I think it shows us that we can do it, it shows us not to panic when we get in those situations and it shows us we can play with anybody."
Even if they've scored 19 straight.
RALEIGH — Joel Berry II received the inbounds pass each time and immediately dribbled down the court, the thought of a timeout never crossing his mind.
Moments earlier, North Carolina led N.C. State by 10 points during Saturday's first half. But in the nearly seven minutes of chaos that followed, the Tar Heels missed 13 straight shots and the Wolfpack capitalized with a 19-0 run. All the while, Roy Williams stood on the sideline, his arms crossed as he stared down his team.
Berry didn't expect anything different. No matter how large N.C. State's lead grew or how deafening PNC Arena became, Berry knew Williams wouldn't waste a timeout. Nor, in Berry's opinion, should he have.
"When a team gets like that and they're making runs like that, that's when you want to attack them," Berry said, "because they're celebrating, they're not going to play as hard, they feel like they've got the momentum going and things are just going to happen.
"Next thing you know, we hit them right back in the mouth."
Williams' strategy paid off. The Tar Heels responded with a 7-0 run to close the first half, and buoyed by Luke Maye's 27 second-half points, they withstood the Wolfpack's run for a 96-89 win, their second in less than 24 hours.
UNC also missed 13 shots in a row during the second half of Thursday's win over Duke. Yet the final minutes of that emotional victory didn't consist of as many twists and turns as Saturday's first half.
Behind a 9-0 run, the Tar Heels seized a 14-7 lead before N.C. State tied the game at 16 with a 9-2 spurt. UNC answered with a 12-2 run. But out of a timeout, a 3-pointer by Braxton Beverly ignited the Wolfpack's 19-0 surge, which included seven straight points by Torin Dorn.
The 19 unanswered points marked the most by a Tar Heel opponent since Notre Dame scored 15 straight in the 2015 ACC Tournament championship game.
Unlike he did then, Williams refused to call a timeout Saturday.
"I told them, 'I am not going to bail you out. You've dug this daggum hole, so play,'" he said. "I chewed them out because it was stupidity that caused part of it. I said, 'If you do what I tell you to do, it'll work and we'll be there at the end of the half and we'll have a chance.'"
Down 37-28, UNC scored the last seven points of the first half and entered the break trailing by two. The Tar Heels carried their momentum into the second half, when they scored on seven straight possessions to seize the lead for good and eventually improve to 28-4 all-time against N.C. State under Williams.
After the game, Berry sat in the locker room, talking about how UNC's chemistry has strengthened in recent weeks. Perhaps the team's three-game losing streak influenced that. But no matter why, the Tar Heels, winners of three straight, finally appear to be clicking.
That might be most evident in the second halves of games.
Over the last four contests, they've averaged 49.7 points in the second half, compared to 38.2 in the first. In putting away the Wolfpack, UNC shot 78.1 percent in the second half, its highest percentage in a half under Williams.
There's still more room to improve. But late in the first half Saturday, when Williams said his team "needed to grow up," the Tar Heels showed signs of maturation.
"No matter where we go from here, no matter who we play, teams make runs," Cameron Johnson said. "The great teams can weather those runs and turn them into something positive. Teams that don't have as good of a win-loss record take those runs and kind of shut down.
"I think it shows us that we can do it, it shows us not to panic when we get in those situations and it shows us we can play with anybody."
Even if they've scored 19 straight.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Carolina Women's Basketball 2025-26 | In Pursuit: Episode 3 - "Joy and Fire"
Wednesday, December 24
UNC Men's Basketball: Tar Heels Breeze Past ECU, 99-51
Tuesday, December 23
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. ECU – December 22, 2025
Monday, December 22
MBB: Tar Heels Breeze Past ECU, 99-51
Monday, December 22