The Nitty Gritty On Carolina's Last-Second Losses

You’d have to be living under a rock that would make Mt. Rainier envious to not know much about North Carolina’s absurd proclivity this season for finding ways to lose games at or near the buzzer.

It now defines a team that has suffered through a seemingly historic number of injuries and saw a century-old record of dominance over a neighboring foe crumble to the earth when Clemson won in Chapel Hill for the first time in its 60 visits.

But the meltdowns and last-second losses now comprise the first sentence on this team’s postscript, which technically is still a few weeks away.

So, we decided to break down the numbers of the nail biters, all losses, and here they are:

*UNC has lost six games in the last six weeks that have come down to the final possession of the game either in regulation or sending them to overtime. The Tar Heels have not won any such games in that span.

Incredibly, if you go back to the 2011 season, which followed a disappointing 20-17 campaign, the Tar Heels have lost 10 games to ACC teams in which the game was on the line in the final possession. This includes ACC Tournaments.

In addition, the Tar Heels won 21 of those games, so the record entering this season in last-second games versus ACC opponents dating back to the end of the 2010 campaign was UNC 21, Opponents 10.

A list of those games is noted at the bottom of this report.

Here are the combined stats for UNC and its opponents in the final two minutes of regulation and the four overtimes in the noted games, a span of 20 game minutes in total:

-UNC 8-for-32 FGs (25%), Opponents 22-for-34 (64.7%)

-UNC 1-for-13 on 3-pointers (8%), Opponents 7-for-12 (58.3%)

-UNC 17-for-22 FTs (77.2%), Opponents 16-for-28 (57.1%)

-UNC 9 Turnovers, Opponents 1

-UNC 34 Points, Opponents 68

Individually, here is what the five main Tar Heels have done in those situations:

-Cole Anthony: 3-for-11 FGs (1-5 from 3), 7-8 FTs, 2 TOs

-Garrison Brooks: 3-for-9 FGs (0-1 from 3), 0-0 FTs, 1 TO

-Armando Bacot: 1-for-2 FGs, 2-2 FTs, 2 TOs

-Leaky Black: 0-for-2 FGs (0-1 from 3), 2-4 FTs, 3 TOs

-Brandon Robinson: 0-for-4 FGs (0-4 from 3), 2-2 FTs, 1 TO

Note: Brooks has attempted just one field goal in these situations in the last four games, which is traced to Anthony’s return to the lineup.

Roy Williams has called nine timeouts in these situations, three of which were to set the defense after UNC scores and six were with the Tar Heels in possession of the ball:

-22 seconds left in regulation vs. Clemson – Result: Turnover

-12 seconds left in regulation vs. Clemson – Result: 2 Free Throws

-51 seconds left 1st OT at Va. Tech – Result: missed 3-point attempt

-18 seconds left 2nd OT at Va. Tech – Result: Brooks made jumper

-20 seconds left in overtime vs. Duke – Result: 2 Free Throws

-12 seconds left in overtime vs. Duke – Result: Turnover

W = Won

L = Lost

2011

W - Virginia Tech by 3

W - @ Miami by 3

W - @ Clemson by 2

W – Boston College by 2

W - @ FSU by 2

W – vs. Miami by 2 (ACC Tournament)

W – vs. Clemson in OT (ACC Tournament)

2012

L – Duke by 1

W - @ Virginia by 3

W – N.C. State by 2

L – vs. FSU by 3 (ACC Tournament)

2013

W – Virginia Tech in OT

W – vs. Maryland by 3 (ACC Tournament)

2014

W - @ N.C. State by 1 (also in OT)

W – Notre Dame by 2

2015

L – Notre Dame by 1

W – Louisville by 1

W - @ N.C. State by 2

L - @ Louisville in OT

L - @ Duke in OT

2016

L – Duke by 1

W – Boston College by 3

2017

W - @ Clemson by 3

W – Pittsburgh by 2

2018

L - @ FSU by 1

W - @ Notre Dame by 1

L – N.C. State in OT

L – Miami by 3

2019

W – Miami by 3 (also in OT)

W - @ Clemson by 2

L – vs. Duke by 1 (ACC Tournament)