UNC 83, NC State 64

Box Score

NC State

Four Factors
eFG%	50.0
Turnover Rate	24.4
Off Reb Rate	16.7
FTM/FGA	28.0

UNC

Four Factors
eFG%	54.0
Turnover Rate	18.6
Off Reb Rate	47.1
FTM/FGA	25.8

-- Through the first half, things couldn't have gone much better for us offensively. We only turned the ball over a handful of times, we shot 51.8%, and we played them to a draw on the glass at both ends. All of which put us easily on pace to post the mose efficient performance by a conference foe in the Dean Dome this season. Then the second half happened.

            Pts  Poss  Off_Eff  OR  DR   OR%   DR%   TO   TO%
1st Half    40    35    114.3   4   13  23.5  76.5   5    8.6
2nd Half    24    35    68.6    1   5   7.7   29.4   12   34.3

The difference in rebounding between the two halves is staggering. In the final 20 minutes, the Tar Heels grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in 17 opportunities--over 70%. We had six total rebounds in the entire half. The Heels finished the game +15 in second chance points. Like us, they were turnover prone in the second half (28.6%), but their dominant offensive rebounding sustained them. Carolina shot the ball about the same in both halves (slightly better in the 1st), but scored significantly more points per turnover-less possession in the second half.

1.3 points per turnover-less possession scored in the 1st, when we limited their second opportunities; 1.7 pts per turnover-less possession in the 2nd, when we didn't. If they'd only managed 1.3 in the second half instead of 1.7, they'd have scored 9 fewer points and been under a point/possession overall in the half.

-- Ben McCauley: 3 field goal attempts and 6 turnovers in 38 minutes. It was clear right off the bat that Roy Williams wasn't going to let Ben operate one-on-one in the post. The Heels managed to completely take him out of the game; his possession usage was a paltry 14.2%, well under the 23.4% he averages in conference play.

-- I guess you have to take the small victories in a situation like this. We got an enjoyable half of basketball, a few dunks, some pretty three-pointers by Costner and Atsur, an air-balled jumper by Ginyard, and Tyler Hansbrough was whistled for traveling.

-- Sidney Lowe is out of the hospital.