It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t the way that Carolina drew it up, but the Tar Heels escaped South Bend, with a 74-73 win over Notre Dame, to improve to 9-6 on the season, and 2-1 in the ACC. Down 73-70, with less than 15 seconds left to play, Carolina opted to play for the tie, as opposed to extending the game, and it ended up with Elliot Cadeau making a contested three in the right corner, and he was fouled on his way down, with less than 5 seconds left to play. After a review confirmed that Cadeau’s shot was a three, he stepped to the line to convert the four-point play, giving UNC a one-point lead, which would stand tall, after Markus Burton missed a shot at the rim, as the final horn sounded. Cedeau had missed 19 of his previous 23 attempts from behind the arc but he was tough to make one when his team needed it the most.
You’re probably thinking that Carolina had to make a big comeback in the second half to win today’s game, and that’s partially true. In this game, Carolina blew a double-digit lead in the second half, and trailed by four in the later part of the second half, before finding a way to win this afternoon. After taking the 11-point lead, Notre Dame got back in the game, by getting Carolina into foul trouble, as they were in the bonus with 13:09 left to play. Although they had Carolina in foul trouble, they missed three critical free throws down the stretch, which kept UNC close, and in position to complete the comeback. The win over Notre Dame is just the second road win of the season, but it keeps the team from having a bad loss and in the projected NCAA Tournament field. A loss would’ve meant that Carolina would have to earn two quality wins, to make up for a loss to a team ranked 103rd in the NET entering today’s action.
The Tar Heels offense was efficient today, as they shot 53% from the field, overcoming a 6-21 shooting performance from the outside. Ian Jackson was the best offensive player on the floor today, scoring 27 points on 11-18 shooting. He is now the first freshman since Tyler Hansbrough to score 20-plus points in four straight games. Elliot Cadeau was the only other UNC player to reach double figures, scoring 10 points, to go along with his 6 assists. Carolina was able to win the game, despite being outrebounded, outscored in second-chance points, outscored on the fast break, and was doubled up in points off the bench, but all that matters is that they scored more total points than Notre Dame on the scoreboard.
This is the first time Carolina has won a game by a point, since they beat Notre Dame by 1, against Notre Dame back in 2021, in a game that Hubert Davis should be more relieved that his team won, than anything. Here’s what stood out in the win today:
Cadeau Converts: The game hasn’t been kind to Elliot Cadeau since the team left for Hawaii the week before Thanksgiving, struggling to both shoot the ball and not protect it offensively. Today though, you saw glimpses of the Cadeau we saw before the funk, a guy that was distributing the basketball to open shooters, and competing defensively, pressuring the basketball in the backcourt. But without Seth Trimble, this team needs him to score, and he did that, scoring the final 6 points, including the all-important 4-point play, which Carolina the lead, and ultimately the win. Let’s hope today was the turning point for Cadeau, and he looks like the player that was averaging 17 points, and 8 assists, which he was, after the first three games of the year.
Ian Jackson: After today, there is no denying that Ian Jackson is this team’s best offensive player, and the more that Hubert Davis utilizes him, the better. He scored 27 points, on 11-18 shooting, to go along with 6 rebounds, in a team-high 38 minutes. He did miss two turnovers, that sparked Notre Dame’s run after trailing 47-38, and he did commit a turnover in an important sequence with less than 4 minutes left, but that’s part of growing with a freshman being your best player.
Fouling: Whether it’s the officials calling the game tight, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Carolina has struggled to play defense, without fouling in the first two ACC games of the year. Notre Dame shot 23 free throws in the game today, including 18 in the second half, as Carolina put the Fighting Irish in the bonus with 13:09 left to play, a big reason they came back, and took the lead. The lack of depth on the roster has been exposed, with Seth Trimble sidelined with an upper-body injury, forcing Hubert Davis to play Jae’Lyn Withers extended minutes. It’s hard to win on the road in any conference when you foul the way that Carolina has early on in league play, and that’s something that needs to be cleaned up, going in to Tuesday’s showdown with SMU.
Second Half Defense: After scoring just 32 points in the first half, they scored 41 second-half points, on 48% shooting from the field, and 43% from behind the arc. Maybe it had something to do with the fouling, but Hubert Davis never opted to full-court press, until his team was down in the final minute. Regardless, today was the inverse of what we’ve seen from this team, they usually start slow defensively but play at a higher level in the second half. Today, they competed at a high level right out of the gate, before falling apart in the second half, in the latest example of how inconsistent this team is.
More History for RJ: In a game where he only scored 8 points, it was still a historic day for the super senior, who passed Armando Bacot, for second on the all-time scoring list at UNC. Davis was just 3-9 from the field, but still impacted the game, with a team-high 7 assists. It’s clear he’s adjusting to the offense running through Ian Jackson, but a move that will ultimately make the game easier for him.
Frontcourt Produces: It wasn’t overwhelming, but Carolina got production from every member of the frontcourt, and they needed every ounce of it. Jalen Washing scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds while going perfect from the field. Ven-Allen Lubin produced 4 points, and 3 rebounds in his 14 minutes. Jae’Lyn Withers added 7 points, and rebounds, including an important three in the second half, and even Cade Tyson added two big free throws before the half. We all know the flaws that exist in the frontcourt, and the only way they can overcome those flaws is to do it by committee, and for the first time maybe all season long, you can say that every member of the frontcourt, impacted the game in a positive manner, helping the team win on the road, in a game they absolutely had to have.
Up Next: Carolina returns to the Smith Center on Tuesday night when they host at 9 PM on the ACC Network.
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