NEW YORK – UNC basketball didn’t back down on Tuesday night, but neither did UConn.
In a top-10 matchup at Madison Square Garden, the ninth-ranked Tar Heels didn’t have enough down the stretch to get over the hump in a 87-76 loss to the fifth-ranked Huskies.
Trailing by double digits several times in the second half, UNC (7-2) twice got its deficit down to five but would get no closer as the reigning national champions prevailed in the Jimmy V Classic.
After going 4-for-16 from 3-point range in the first half, UConn (8-1) made its first four 3s in the second half and finished the game with 10 treys. The Huskies had 25 assists on 34 baskets and won the rebounding battle by 10.
The Tar Heels have lost eight of their last 11 games against top-5 nonconference opponents in the regular season.
RJ Davis keeps UNC basketball close, but Huskies closed with a bang
Senior guard RJ Davis scored seven points in a two-minute stretch to keep the Tar Heels within five points midway through the second half, but UNC missed 14 of 16 shots in the latter stages as the Huskies built a 15-point lead. Davis finished with a team-high 26 points, including 19 in the second half.
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UConn’s Cam Spencer plays villain vs. Tar Heels
After missing 10 of his 12 shots in a loss at Kansas, UConn guard Cam Spencer had 21 points early in the second half against UNC.
Spencer played the villain role well, constantly chirping with the Tar Heels throughout the night. After a corner 3 to beat the shot clock in the second half, Spencer had some words for Armando Bacot and was tagged with a technical foul. As UConn’s leader, Spencer finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
UNC can’t capitalize on UConn’s foul trouble
Three of UConn’s top players – Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson – each picked up two fouls in the first half. Trailing 32-31 with 3:29 left, UNC watched Newton head to the sideline for the rest of the half but the Heels couldn’t capitalize on his absence. The Huskies responded with a 10-1 run and carried a 44-39 lead into halftime.
Kentucky basketball up next for UNC
The Tar Heels won’t play again until Dec. 16 at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, where they’ll face No. 16 Kentucky (6-2). The Wildcats are coming off a loss to UNCW at Rupp Arena.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.