MILWAUKEE, WI – The recipe North Carolina used in winning nine of eleven games entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament included hot shooting from the perimeter, a consistent rebounding advantage, and having a greater edge than its victims.

Those three things, and more, were needed for UNC to advance past Ole Miss on Friday, and the Tar Heels simply didn’t have them in a 71-64 loss at Fiserv Forum.

Carolina was 5-for-24 from 3-point range, was outrebounded 40-34, and by the time the Tar Heels recovered from being knocked back, they trailed by 22 points and only a miracle would deliver them to the winner’s circle.

The Heels came close using a 32-13 run to climb within 66-64 with 1:09 remaining, but that was the end of the road for Hubert Davis’ team. They missed their final six shots and the hole they created was just too much to overcome.

RJ Davis led UNC with 15 points in his final game in a North Carolina uniform. Ven-Allen Lubin ended with 14 points even though foul trouble limited him to 16 minutes. No other Tar Heel scored in double figures.

Starting forward Jae’Lyn Withers left the game less than four minutes into the second half and did not return. He left the building on crutches.

It was the 11th game this season in which UNC trailed by at least 15 points and it was its 14th loss, thus only six other Carolina teams have lost more games in a season.

UNC ends its season at 23-14 and Ole Miss advanced to the second round where it will face Iowa State.

Here is a Deep Dive into UNC’s loss to Mississippi: