By R.L. Bynum

CHAPEL HILL — Carolina kept finding opportunities beyond the arc Friday. Finding the bottom of the net was another matter.

The Tar Heels attempted a school-record 38 3-pointers in their 78–70 loss to Georgia, but Terrence Brown and Isaiah Denis — who combined for seven of UNC’s nine makes — said the volume reflected the openings Georgia’s defense allowed.

UNC (3–1) shot 23.7% from outside the arc. Brown went 4-for-8 and Denis 3-for-7, while their teammates combined to go 2-for-23. Georgia made 14 3-pointers and rallied from nine points down with 10½ minutes left.

Michael Malone said he needed to review the video to assess UNC’s shot selection, but the shooting struggles were obvious.

“Obviously, we did not shoot the ball well tonight,” Malone said. “I don’t know how many of those were good looks, but we had a bunch. I think we shot maybe seven or eight air balls tonight.”

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Brown, who led UNC with 21 points, said the volume came from how Georgia defended and not from a change in what the Tar Heels want to do.

“I wouldn’t take a three if I didn’t have to,” Brown said. “They were just open today. The teams were heavy in the gaps, and the threes were open, so coaches were really saying the driving kicks were there. So, if you’re open and you feel like it’s a good shot, just take it.”

Brown said Georgia’s defenders knew he wanted to attack the basket and positioned themselves accordingly.

“They’re just waiting in the gaps,” he said, “and the coaching staff just telling me to find the kickouts.”

Brown also said he was trying to be more aggressive on catch-and-shoot chances and to take open shots instead of highly contested ones.

Denis offered a similar view, saying the Tar Heels got what they wanted and could not finish.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that,” Denis said when asked whether UNC relied too heavily on 3-pointers. “I think we got a lot of good looks from the three. We just weren’t able to knock them down.”

The Tar Heels were at their best Friday when they ran. They scored 11 fast-break points in the first eight minutes of the second half, and Denis said running is central to how the team sees itself.

“We pride ourselves on kicking ahead in transition,” Denis said.

As UNC struggled to get defensive stops and rebounds, its transition opportunities dwindled. Against a set defense, Malone said, Georgia’s switching stalled the offense.

“When you play them in the half court, once again, all their switching was able to bottle us up and make us very stagnant,” Malone said.

The misses extended to the easy shots. UNC went 1-for-3 on dunk attempts and 10-for-16 on layups, putting the Tar Heels at 57.9% at the rim.

“That is not nearly good enough,” Malone said.

Asked what he tells teammates who have struggled with their shot, including Jarin Stevenson (2-for-7 from the floor and 0-for-3 from outside the arc) and Neo Avdalas (5-for-13, 0-for-3), Brown said he doesn’t see a slump.

“They just got to keep shooting,” Brown said. “Get in the gym, rep it out. Coming to practice, be confident in themselves because they’re really good basketball players, and I have full faith in them. If you say they’re in a slump, I don’t think they’re in a slump.”

Malone pointed to freshman Maximo Adams, who made 1 of 8 shots, as an example of how to handle a cold night. Adams still grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.

“Some guys, when they shoot those numbers, they let that impact the rest of their game,” Malone said. “What I loved about Maxi is, okay, I’m not making shots. One thing I know I can do that requires no skill is I can rebound the ball.”

UNC has a week before hosting Marshall on Friday. Denis said the Tar Heels must improve the effort and execution they can control.

“Obviously, we didn’t make a lot of shots from the three today, but just looking at the things that we can control ourselves, effort-wise, as a team, there’s a lot to get better at,” Denis said. “We’ll watch film and get better.”