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When Armando Bacot wasn’t a productive scorer last season, North Carolina struggled to find a way to win. The No. 14 Tar Heels hoped that might be different this season, but foul trouble kept them from overcoming Villanova on Thursday. The Wildcats pulled out an 83–81 overtime victory at the Imperial Arena in the Bahamas in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
As the Jordan year — ’23 — winds down, Coby White and Cameron Johnson scored 23 points in Wednesday night losses. Harrison Barnes netted 22 points in a defeat, but Cole Anthony’s team had the best night as he scored 20 points.
Carolina will get a chance to serve up a plate full of long-overdue revenge on Thanksgiving Day. For the first time since a shot by Villanova’s Chris Jenkin in Houston gave the Tar Heels a heartbreaking 77–74 loss in the 2016 NCAA championship game, UNC finally gets a chance to avenge the defeat.
Cormac Ryan brought prolific perimeter shooting skills from Notre Dame when he transferred to Carolina, but struggled mightily to find the range in the Tar Heels’ first three games. As the second half started Wednesday afternoon in the Imperial Arena in the Bahamas, he found it. The 25-year-old fifth-year guard ignited a 16–1 run after No. 14 UNC trailed by six at halftime, as the Tar Heels rolled to a 91–69 victory in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Although a milestone by teammate Kevin Durant overshadowed Nassir Little’s effort, the fifth-year former UNC forward had his best game of the season against his former team.
Armando Bacot has fond memories of his 2019 trip to the Bahamas and, if he plays his cards right, he hopes to hit the blackjack table with Roy Williams after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis championship.
Coby White’s return as the Chicago Bulls’ starting point guard hasn’t always been smooth this season, with his best assist numbers in four seasons but his worst shooting percentages since his rookie season.
It’s a busy Thanksgiving week for Carolina athletics, and many fans will probably plan their holiday schedule around watching the Tar Heels play. Here’s a guide to when and where to watch.
North Carolina jumped six spots to No. 14 in the latest AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll after Friday’s 77–52 victory over UC Riverside. It’s the highest rank for UNC since it was No. 1 in the third poll last season.
Dontrez Styles continued his productive weekend for Georgetown on Sunday, when Tyler Nickel had his best game since joining Virginia Tech and Caleb Love had a good all-around game in another romp for No. 4 Arizona.
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