By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
THE RECAP: Down 25 points in the middle of second half, defending national champion Baylor outscored North Carolina, 38-13 to force overtime.
However, the No. 8 seed Tar Heels had a little more in the extra period to deny the No. 1 Bears a chance to repeat. The Tar Heels went 3-6 shooting while the Bears struggled at 1-11 as North Carolina won, 93-86, in an East Region Round of 32 meeting at Dickies Arena. Baylor missed a chance of completing one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA tournament history.
The Bears become the fifth consecutive reigning national champion to fail to advance past the first weekend of the tournament. Sharing the Big 12 championship, the Bears finished their season at 27-7. They struggled from the field shooting 34.6 overall and just 24.3 from the arc.
Baylor trailed 91-85 with 21 seconds remaining in OT when Adam Flagler was fouled on a drive to the basket. He had to leave the game and could not shoot the free throws.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis chose freshman Jeremy Sochan to attempt them. Sochan made 1-2, but the second created a loose ball where the Bears came up with the ball but Sochan and Dale Bonner missed their 3-pointers. The Tar Heels Justin Mckoy hit two free throws with 3.8 second remaining to seal it.
Throughout this contest, UNC’s physical nature got after the Bears and sent them reeling where they trailed 42-29 at the half.
It appeared to be headed to blowout as the Tar Heels led 67-42. But two things turned when Brady Manek was ejected for throwing a Flagrant 2 after throwing an elbow at Sochan with 10:08 remaining. Baylor then went to a press.
The Tar Heels lost their best shooter. Manek finished with 26. UNC guards were rattled with 13 turnovers. Some of those contributed to the Bears scoring 25 points off them.
UNC left the door open in the final 38 seconds. Leading 80-74, Sochan hit a three. Following two missed free throws by UNC big Armando Bacot, James Akinjo , who finished with 20 points, came up with a 3-point play with 16 seconds to play. RJ Davis missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
As physical as this game was, North Carolina was called for 26 fouls, Baylor 27.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Flagler was in a spot where he struggled in the first half. But then he picked it up in the middle of the second half and led the comeback. He scored 21 of his team-high 27 in the second half and overtime. He was 10-25 from the field and 3-11 from the arc. But his leadership proved pivotal as the Bears made their charge.
NOTABLE I: Baylor is now 5-2 in the round of 32. The other loss was in 2019 to Gonzaga in Salt Lake City.
NOTABLE II: After committing eight turnovers in the first half, Baylor did a much better job handling the ball in the second and in OT committing just three. The Bears were also very strong at the foul line at 21-27.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: While all of the momentum favored Baylor for the last 10 minutes of the regulation, one of the keys was that the Bears never led. That was big mentally for North Carolina because the Tar Heels didn’t have the mentality of coming back with a bucket to try and tie the game or take the lead.
NOW WHAT: While Matthew Mayer, Flo Thamba and Akinjo went through senior day ceremonies two weeks ago, they still have the option to return. Time will tell. Mayer said two weeks ago he’s 98 percent sure he won’t come back. Thamba said he would talk with his family. Akinjo was non-committal.
There are also decisions awaiting from phenom freshmen Sochan and Kendall Brown. Those two are projected to be NBA first round picks.
NEXT GAME: The 2022-23 season opener. The Bears look to pursue a third consecutive Big 12 championship.
Publisher
THE RECAP: Down 25 points in the middle of second half, defending national champion Baylor outscored North Carolina, 38-13 to force overtime.
However, the No. 8 seed Tar Heels had a little more in the extra period to deny the No. 1 Bears a chance to repeat. The Tar Heels went 3-6 shooting while the Bears struggled at 1-11 as North Carolina won, 93-86, in an East Region Round of 32 meeting at Dickies Arena. Baylor missed a chance of completing one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA tournament history.
The Bears become the fifth consecutive reigning national champion to fail to advance past the first weekend of the tournament. Sharing the Big 12 championship, the Bears finished their season at 27-7. They struggled from the field shooting 34.6 overall and just 24.3 from the arc.
Baylor trailed 91-85 with 21 seconds remaining in OT when Adam Flagler was fouled on a drive to the basket. He had to leave the game and could not shoot the free throws.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis chose freshman Jeremy Sochan to attempt them. Sochan made 1-2, but the second created a loose ball where the Bears came up with the ball but Sochan and Dale Bonner missed their 3-pointers. The Tar Heels Justin Mckoy hit two free throws with 3.8 second remaining to seal it.
Throughout this contest, UNC’s physical nature got after the Bears and sent them reeling where they trailed 42-29 at the half.
It appeared to be headed to blowout as the Tar Heels led 67-42. But two things turned when Brady Manek was ejected for throwing a Flagrant 2 after throwing an elbow at Sochan with 10:08 remaining. Baylor then went to a press.
The Tar Heels lost their best shooter. Manek finished with 26. UNC guards were rattled with 13 turnovers. Some of those contributed to the Bears scoring 25 points off them.
UNC left the door open in the final 38 seconds. Leading 80-74, Sochan hit a three. Following two missed free throws by UNC big Armando Bacot, James Akinjo , who finished with 20 points, came up with a 3-point play with 16 seconds to play. RJ Davis missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
As physical as this game was, North Carolina was called for 26 fouls, Baylor 27.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Flagler was in a spot where he struggled in the first half. But then he picked it up in the middle of the second half and led the comeback. He scored 21 of his team-high 27 in the second half and overtime. He was 10-25 from the field and 3-11 from the arc. But his leadership proved pivotal as the Bears made their charge.
NOTABLE I: Baylor is now 5-2 in the round of 32. The other loss was in 2019 to Gonzaga in Salt Lake City.
NOTABLE II: After committing eight turnovers in the first half, Baylor did a much better job handling the ball in the second and in OT committing just three. The Bears were also very strong at the foul line at 21-27.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: While all of the momentum favored Baylor for the last 10 minutes of the regulation, one of the keys was that the Bears never led. That was big mentally for North Carolina because the Tar Heels didn’t have the mentality of coming back with a bucket to try and tie the game or take the lead.
NOW WHAT: While Matthew Mayer, Flo Thamba and Akinjo went through senior day ceremonies two weeks ago, they still have the option to return. Time will tell. Mayer said two weeks ago he’s 98 percent sure he won’t come back. Thamba said he would talk with his family. Akinjo was non-committal.
There are also decisions awaiting from phenom freshmen Sochan and Kendall Brown. Those two are projected to be NBA first round picks.
NEXT GAME: The 2022-23 season opener. The Bears look to pursue a third consecutive Big 12 championship.
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