North Carolina had numerous opportunities to steal one at NC State on Tuesday night, but the Tar Heels couldn’t get over the hump and fell, 79-76, to the Wolfpack at PNC Arena.

UNC trailed by 17 in the first half and could never catch the Pack, though it did close to within a point with 8:38 remaining. But poor shooting and 18 turnovers that led to 14 NC State points and intermittently poor defense led to their Heels’ demise.

Seventeenth-ranked UNC dropped to 5-3 overall and 0-1 in the ACC with the defeat.

Here are our 3 Stars from UNC’s loss at NC State:

Bacot again led the Tar Heels in scoring with 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field, and he also grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Bacot was the only consistent offensive weapon the Tar Heels had and he was the only player State had trouble guarding. His efficiency has been off the charts so far this season, as Bacot has converted 35 of his 47 field goal attempts, which is 74.5 percent for the season.

The 7-foot-1 freshman played only 12 minutes but he has a considerable impact on the game. He finished with just three points, but his energy was big as it helped fuel the Heels some and also led to him blocking three shots and registering three steals. He also had six rebounds. Kessler’s floor game was so good that Roy Williams even singled it out following the game.

Bacot and Platek have essentially been UNC’s two positive constants all season. Platek understands his role and is excelling. He did once again Tuesday night even though eh played only 10 minutes. The senior guard finished with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting from the floor and he drained one of two 3-pointers.

In Carolina’s last four games, Platek has scored 35 points, grabbed eight rebounds, handed out four assists and drawn three charges, two of which came during an UNC push against the Wolfpack. And he’s done this in 65 minutes of action.

Also receiving votes: RJ Davis and Day’Ron Sharpe.