It was an eventful first day of the Maui Invitational, that started with #2 UConn getting upset, followed by an epic comeback from Auburn in a top-five matchup against Iowa State, but all of that drama was capped by an epic comeback from Carolina, who overcame a 21-point deficit, the second largest in program history, to beat Dayton 92-90, to advance the semifinals. Carolina found themselves down 51-33 at the half, after committing a season-high 12 first-half turnovers, to go along with just made baskets over the final 11 minutes of the first half. The good news for Carolina was that this group had faced a deficit like that already this season, after falling behind 20 at Kansas, before making a comeback in the game, before ultimately falling 92-89. You expected Carolina to make a run in the second half, but it took until the under-12 timeout in the second half before Carolina was able to turn the game upside down. After making it a 14-point game, with 14 minutes to go, Hubert Davis called a timeout, that set the stage for the comeback, as Carolina turned up the intensity on the defensive end, and RJ Davis and Seth Trimble took over on the offensive end. Davis finished with a game-high 30 points, including going 4-10 from behind the arc. His running mate, Seth Trimble finished with a career-high 27 points, on 10-14 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds, to put together his best performance as a Tar Heel.
The comeback was highlighted by some great late game execution. After Carolina had cut the deficit to 71-68, Jalen Washington was called for a hook and hold, which gave Dayton, two shots and the balls, which they were able to convert into a four-point possession and rebuild their lead 75-68. With less than three minutes left, Carolina found themselves down four but were able to execute down the stretch to take the lead. While RJ Davis and Seth Trimble were making plays left and right, Drake Powell and Jalen Washington both made plays to help UNC pull back in front. Washington finished an and-1, and Powell made two threes, one to cut the deficit to one, and another, to give Carolina a 88-87 lead. With Carolina up 90-87, with 14 seconds left, they opted not to foul, and Nate Santos buried what was believed to be a game-tying three-pointer, but after reviewing the shot, his foot was on the line, and Carolina was able to manage the game at the foul line the rest of the way. Carolina was 27-34 from the foul line, led by RJ Davis, who was 10-11 from the charity stripe, as they took advantage of an officiating crew that called the game tight for both halves.
Hubert Davis praised the toughness of his team, and their competitive spirit when he met with the media after last night’s game, but made it known, that his team can’t always rely on erasing 20-point deficits, whether they came at home, on the road, or on a neutral floor. With that in mind, that second half was another example of how good this team can be, and it also might’ve hinted at a potential change in Carolina’s starting lineup. Here’s what to takeaway from last night’s dramatic win over the Dayton Flyers:
Explosive Second Half: Carolina scored 92 points in the game, and 59 of them came in the second half, where they were 19-32 from the field, including 7-14 from behind the arc, and 14-16 from the foul line. Davis scored 20 of his 30 in the second half, going 5-13 from the field, 4-8 from deep, as he played the entire second half. Trimble added 17, on 6-7 shooting, and he was 5-5 from the foul line. A big reason why Carolina was able to get their offense going, was they quit turning it over. After committing 12 first-half turnovers in the first 20 minutes, they committed just 3 in the second half.
Growing Up: Carolina needs Jalen Washington to help solidify their frontcourt, and after another subpar first-half, Washington stepped up in the second half, scoring 9 points, going 4-5 from the field, and grabbing 4 rebounds. After he finished through contact, to earn a trip to the foul line, Washington let out a big scream, the first real sign of emotion from him this season. Even after getting switched onto guards, who made threes over him, Washington was better defensively, contesting shots, and impacting shots at the rim. We thought maybe American was going to be the breakout game for Washington, where he scored 18 points, but given the opponent, and the moment, last night might’ve been his arrival on the college basketball scene, which would be a sigh of relief for Hubert Davis.
Freshman Focus: It wasn’t just Washington who grew up in the second half, so did, Drake Powell, who played 14 minutes, in favor of veteran Jae’Lyn Withers. Powell scored 6 points in the second half and made two of the biggest shots down the stretch, including a 3 to give UNC the lead. Powell’s presence defensively, helped turn the game as well, getting active in the passing lanes, and contesting shots. Given how Hubert opted to play him over Withers, you have to wonder if Powell is on the verge of breaking into the starting lineup.
Cadeau Concerns: As important as RJ Davis is to this team, the key to the offense is Elliot Cadeau. Cadeau exited the Hawaii game in the first three minutes with foul trouble, and those resurfaced last night, along with turnovers. Cadeau managed to score 10 points, but he committed 4 fouls that limited his minutes in the first half, and he turned it over 6 times, to go along with his 5 assists. There’s no denying that Carolina will need him to play better later tonight against Auburn if they have any hopes of advancing to the championship game.
Slow Starts: Hubert Davis said after the game they can’t maintain playing the way they’ve played in the early going of the season, and he’s right. It’s nice to know this team has the firepower, and the heart to get back into games when falling behind by double-digits, but you won’t always be able to rally. Last night’s slow start was self-inflicted, with 12 first-half turnovers, leading to 19 points for the Flyers. When Carolina has played at the level they’ve played at in the second halves against Kansas and Dayton, UNC is among the best teams in all of college basketball. But when you combine that with the first-half efforts in both of the respective games, this is nothing more than a middle-of-the-road team in the ACC. At some point, their true identity will be revealed, and hopefully, it’s the team we’ve seen in the second halves of most games.
Little Things: What flew under the radar during the comeback, was Carolina winning the battle on the boards, 39-37, second chance points 18-16, they won the points in the paint, 36-32, and they still managed to outscore Dayton in transition, 15-13. Add in Carolina going 27-34 from the foul line, and the scoreboard does reflect a UNC win.
Up Next: Carolina is back in action later tonight, as they’ll face off against #4 Auburn, with a spot in the Maui Invitational championship game on the line. Tip is scheduled for 11 PM on ESPN.
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