In a gut-wrenching loss, unc went down to the Miami Hurricanes 91-88 in a February 27, 2018 matchup. As the penultimate home game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, UNC entered the game with a lot at stake. Not only was this senior night for Theo Pinson and Joel Berry, but should UNC have won, they could have secured a double bye in the 2018 ACC tournament. As the News & Observer reports, UNC head coach Roy Williams told Berry and Pinson following the game, "From the bottom of my heart, I do love you."
Miami keeps UNC on their heels in an emotional senior night loss
Although UNC could have clinched a number two seed in the 2018 ACC tournament with a win over Miami, its hopes are not quite dashed.
A win on Saturday, March 4, 2018, over the Duke Blue Devils could secure a two seed in the ACC tournament the following week for the Heels in the event of a tiebreaker. A tiebreaker looks at winning percentage. So if UNC, Duke, and NC State all end with a 12-6 record, UNC takes the top spot. Should UNC trounce the Blue Devils on Saturday, their record rises to 2-0 over Duke, and 1-1 against NC State. With State's 1-0 record this season against Duke, and 1-1 with UNC, the Tar Heels have the upper hand.
Standings
Of course, Clemson could finish 12-6 in the ACC as well. But UNC remains the top seed in the event of a four-way tie. After starting regular season play with a 5-5 record, and amidst murmurs that, perhaps, the Tar Heels were not as strong as their preseason projections, UNC bounced back with a six-game winning streak heading into the senior night loss to the Hurricanes.
Before their final match of the season, where the Heels face off against long-time conference rival the Duke Blue Devils in Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, UNC sits at 11-6 in the conference.
Though UNC finished the game against Miami with a solid 54 percent shooting from the field, they hit a mere 13 of 20 foul shots. In the final seconds, senior Joel Berry drained a three-point basket to tie the game, but failed to prevent a three-point buzzer beater to topple the Heels 91-88.
Go Heels reveals that Berry tied his career high with 31 points for the Tar Heels, who sit at 22-8 overall, 11-6 in the ACC. While UNC battles Duke on Saturday, March 4, Miami plays Virginia Tech next, also on Saturday. As with their senior night match against Miami, there's a lot riding on the Duke game for the Heels, far more than mere bragging rights. A win would secure UNC a two seed in the ACC tournament.
