Lucas: Notre Dame Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Carolina survives. The Tar Heels get an absolutely essential road win at Notre Dame, 63-59.

2. Second chance points made the difference. Carolina didn't shoot well, so the 23 second chance points off 23 offensive rebounds were a big story. Armando Bacot had 16 points and 11 boards (six offensive). But Leaky Black also had 11 (six offensive) and Pete Nance had 10 (five offensive).

3. RJ Davis helped turn the game around with some defensive pressure. Davis forced two Notre Dame turnovers early in the second half. In a game in which the Carolina halfcourt offense was struggling, that created a couple very welcome easy baskets. That led a surge that saw the Heels recover from an eight-point halftime deficit and take the lead just 3:30 into the second half.

4. When the Tar Heels go to watch film of that game, they'll likely find more areas to improve than they will areas they were happy with. Most importantly, it's a win. But the Tar Heels shot poorly, missed key box outs at key moments, took bad shots, didn't share the ball particularly well and struggled to stop the Irish in the second half.

5. The less said about the first half, the better. Let's put it this way: Notre Dame came into the game as one of the worst defensive teams in the country by numerous metrics. The Tar Heels shot 18.5 percent from the field, the lowest Carolina field goal percentage in a half since 1980. In Wednesday's half, for which the film will immediately be burned, the Heels shot 0-for-11 from the three-point line and turned it over eight times.

6. This isn't exactly unlocking a state secret, but the Tar Heels are struggling to get perimeter production from the four spot. It's really difficult to single anyone out given the team-wide three-point problems, but it feels like the Heels have missed numerous open trifectas from that spot on the court during the month of February. They did get important plays from that spot--in addition to his rebounding, Pete Nance carried Carolina early offensively, and also had a couple key second half assists to Bacot at important junctures.

7. And while the three-point shooting will deservedly get lots of attention (Carolina was 2-for-23 from three), the Tar Heels also missed some point-blank attempts they would normally make. The Heels shot 33.3 percent in the game. The 15-18 mark at the free throw line saved the game.

8. This is a window into the offensive struggles. Carolina was up by one point with 6:30 left. They played good defense and forced a bad (and errant) Irish shot. But on the next three trips they rushed a very bad shot that missed, missed an open three-pointer, and rushed a corner three five seconds into the shot clock.

9. Notre Dame's inability to take advantage of mismatches for Nate Laszewski was a big part of their offensive struggles. The Tar Heels repeatedly switched RJ Davis and Caleb Love onto the ND big man--who has hurt Carolina in the past. But he finished just 1-for-5 from the field.

10. Interesting substitutions in the final minute. RJ Davis--who made perhaps the biggest basked of the game--had four fouls and Notre Dame was taking advantage of him defensively, so Carolina subbed in Seth Trimble. But after the Irish scored, Hubert Davis called timeout to get Davis--who'd just made a big jumper--back in the game in a one-point situation.

11. The turnovers have been a big issue in the last two games, and many of them have been unforced. It happened against NC State on Sunday, and it happened again against the Irish--a team that came into the game forcing just 8.8 turnovers per game. But the Tar Heels coughed it up eight times in the first half alone, which led to seven Irish points in a half in which seven points was a big deal. They were much more efficient in the second half, committing just one miscue. That was quietly a huge second half storyline in a game in which offense was a struggle.

12. Leaky Black played in his 150th career game for the Tar Heels on Wednesday night. Only three Carolina players in history have played in as many games. Isaiah Hicks and Nate Britt played in 151, and Deon Thompson holds the UNC and ACC record with 152.

13. The win continues one of the most unusual streaks in Carolina basketball history. The Tar Heels now have a home-and-home season sweep over at least one Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in every season that the ACC has existed.

14. Playing just an hour from his hometown of Gary, Ind., Jalen Washington had 14 friends and family in attendance. The Tar Heel freshman, who attended this game as a fan last year, made a brief appearance in the first half.

15. Unusual final seconds. Up one, Carolina ran a brilliant inbounds play that created a layup. But the shot missed, and Carolina got yet another rebound. That forced Notre Dame to foul three times in 1.9 seconds to get the Heels into the one-and-one. Caleb Love converted both clutch free throws, giving Carolina a three-point lead. With 6.8 seconds left, that left Carolina with a choice: foul or let it play out. The Heels fouled JJ Starling with 4.8 seconds left. He made the first one and missed the second one on purpose. Love secured the board and iced the win.

16. An area you'll likely hear mentioned from Hubert Davis: Notre Dame's bench outscored Carolina 23-2.

17. It wasn't pretty. But Carolina needed a win and got one, with big plays from the backcourt late. All you can do is move on to Saturday against Virginia with postseason hopes still alive. Remember, the Heels are part of a weak bubble. Other teams are going to lose. Wednesday night, Carolina didn't.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Leaky Black

RJ Davis

Caleb Love

Pete Nance

Seth Trimble

Jalen Washington

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