In a critical matchup for North Carolina’s NCAA tournament hopes, the Tar Heels faced a significant defeat against No. 23 Clemson, losing 85-65 at Little John Coliseum. This marked UNC’s fifth loss in their last seven games, dropping their record to 14-11 overall and 7-6 in the ACC. Viktor Lakhin led Clemson with 22 points, supported by Chase Hunter with 19 and Jaeden Zackery with 16.
The Tar Heels struggled throughout the game, trailing 49-33 at halftime after a disastrous final seven minutes of the first half. RJ Davis was the top scorer for UNC with 18 points, while Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Notably, Ian Jackson, a key scorer for UNC, went scoreless in the first half and the previous game.
Clemson capitalized on their offensive rebounds and shooting efficiency, hitting over 56% from the field in the first half and an impressive 66.7% from three-point range. Moving forward, UNC will continue their tough schedule with a road game against Syracuse, needing to tackle several games against lower-ranked teams in the ACC to improve their standings.
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