North Carolina fell 78-73 to Notre Dame on Wednesday night, giving the Tar Heels their first conference loss of the season.

UNC center Armando Bacot did not take the defeat lightly. After the game, he called it an “embarrassing” loss and said he felt sorry for North Carolina fans and alumni.

Notre Dame controlled the game for most of the evening. UNC allowed the Fighting Irish to shoot 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.

North Carolina still had a chance down the stretch and even briefly took the lead with 3:28 to play. However, Notre Dame recaptured the advantage on its next possession and never looked back.

Bacot was North Carolina’s most productive player on the night as he scored 21 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.

The Tar Heels were also dealing with the absences of Dawson Garcia (concussion), Kerwin Walton (COVID) and Justin McKoy (COVID). Regardless, it’s a disappointing loss for a UNC squad that is fighting to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament.

North Carolina is now 10-4 on the season and 2-1 in ACC play. Its next game is against Virginia on Saturday.