SYRACUSE, NY - North Carolina was never going to go 20-0 in ACC play, and during their previous 10-game winning streak, it was a matter of when, not if, it would end.
It came to a close two weeks ago on a Tuesday night in Atlanta, and the seventh-ranked Tar Heels lost again last Tuesday at home to Clemon. Make that three consecutive Tuesday, as the Heels fell, 86-79, to Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome.
And as was the case in the first of the three defeats, defending the perimeter has been the primary problem.
Over the ten-game win streak, the Tar Heels earned the distinction as one of college basketball’s best defensive clubs, consistently holding teams under 70 points and forcing opponents into shooting season-lows from the field.
But now that they find themselves on the wrong side of the result in three of their last five games, the Tar Heels'defense, specifically on the perimeter, is no longer the reliable calling card that it once was.
In January, North Carolina held Clemson to 1-for-18 from3-point range, NC State was 2-for-20, and both Boston College and Wake Forest connected on just three. Syracuse, which handed the Tar Heels their sixth loss of the season on Tuesday, made just four of its 19 three-point attempts in Chapel Hill last month on an afternoon the Heels won by 36 points.
During their 10-game winning streak, just four of their opponents shot 30 percent or better from three, with the other six shooting 25 percent or below. Even with Louisville and Florida State converting at a 44.4percent and 45 percent clip, respectively, from beyond the arc, teams combined for 52 makes on 209 shots (24.8 percent) in that 10-game span.
As the win against the Seminoles served as the penultimate victory during their torrid run, Florida State’s 9-for-20 output from three could be seen as the first sign of a regression to the mean for UNC's opponents.
In the weeks since, the Tar Heels (19-6, 11-3 ACC) have lost on three consecutive Tuesdays, dropping contests to Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Syracuse, which combined to shoot 28-for-68 from three (41.2 percent).
Compare that to their 11 ACC wins, where opponents have shot 25 percent from beyond the arc, and their perimeter defense, or, at times, just poor shooting, have been the difference.
The Orange(16-9, 7-7), guided by the backcourt of Judah Mintz and JJ Starling, who combined for 48 points, connected on eight of 17 attempts from long range on Tuesday.
“It’s tough man. They hit a lot of tough shots,” said Armando Bacot.
Two of those makes came from an unlikely source, as Maliq Brown was a perfect 2-for-2 from distance. Brown entered the contest with just four makes on 14 attempts for the season while not attempting a single three a season ago as a freshman.
“You have to compliment Syracuse for stepping up and being able to make plays,” said Hubert Davis. “Brown coming into the game had made four threes throughout his entire year. He hit two threes. That’s six points. That’s big.”
In each of the three losses, UNC has been within arm’s reach of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, but an assist from the backboard has halted that momentum on two occasions.
With the Tar Heels up one under seven minutes to play, JJ Starling lost his dribble in the waning seconds of the shot clock. Instead of seeing North Carolina rewarded for a lockdown possession on defense, it was treated to the equivalent of a hail mary.
Starling recovered and hoisted up a shot 40-feet from the basket, using the backboard to send home the three andgive Syracuse the lead for good at 67-65.
“Usually, teams aren’t hitting those shots at a high rate, but today, they were making them,” said Bacot. “On an average day, we’re living with those shots.”
Two weeks prior in Atlanta, Georgia Tech's Kyle Sturdivant capped off a perfect 4-for-4 night from three by banking home a triple with under four minutes in regulation. Forward Ian Sacko also made just this third three of the season in the win.
A few Tuesday deposits at the bank surely haven’t helped the recent results for the Tar Heels, but they speak to the bigger problems on defense.
Starling made two other threes in the win and Brown attempted his two shots from long distance because he was left open.
Clemson opened up its win on Feb. 7 by making its first four threes, and even in defeat, Florida State converted on seven 3 pointers in the opening half in Tallahassee.
There is a sense of comfort and no hesitation for opponents behind the three-point line as of late, and the results show that.
Some have been a handful of late-in-the shot clock heaves, but more often than not, there have been open looks given up.
North Carolina has surrendered 80 or more points in five of its six losses this season and allowed an average of 79.2 points over its last five contests.
“We’ve still got to get back to taking pride [in] one-on-one [defense], guarding our own man, and getting stops,” said Harrison Ingram.
Muchn of that begins with stopping teams on the perimeter.
