North Carolina loses hard-fought battle with Purdue
North Carolina fought for the whole game, but came up short vs. No. 6 Purdue on Saturday evening.
The Boilermakers shot a staggering 56 percent from the floor en route to a 93-84 win over the Tar Heels. Jaden Ivey led the way for Purdue with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.
North Carolina led briefly in the second half, but Ivey immediately took control of the game. He dished out two impressive assists in transition and completed an and-one opportunity, completing a 9-0 run to put Purdue back on top. The Boilermakers never looked back.
The Tar Heels were unexpectedly shorthanded today, missing defensive stalwart Leaky Black due to a non-COVID-19 illness. Center Armando Bacot was also in foul trouble for most of the day, scoring just 2 points in 17 minutes.
However, North Carolina still found plenty of offense. Dawson Garcia was the star, scoring 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting. He also had a team-high 8 rebounds.
UNC guards Caleb Love and RJ Davis poured in 18 points each. Both players hit multiple 3-pointers in key moments in the second half.
North Carolina will face Tennessee in the finale of the Hall-of-Fame Tip-off on Sunday.