North Carolina went on the road for just the second time this season and got run off the court in the second half by the Mustangs. It was SMU’s ACC opener and, though they were the unranked opponent, they looked like the better squad for much of the game, taking it to the Tar Heels in the 14-point win.
With other ACC teams losing this weekend, North Carolina had a chance to take control of the conference, but instead fell into the muddled middle of this early ACC season. So what can be learned from the Tar Heels’ second loss of the season?
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The Mustangs were the second half team this game
North Carolina fans have grown accustomed to the Tar Heel second half blitz this season, and with SMU and UNC tied 39 all at halftime, it sure seemed like the Tar Heels were going to deliver yet again. However, for just the third time this season (UNC is 1-2 in those games), it was the opponent who outscored North Carolina as the Mustangs went for 58 in the second half.
SMU was led by senior guard Boopie Miller who finished with 27 points while matching a season-high with 12 assists for the double-double as he made everyone who tried to guard him look foolish. The Tar Heels also had no answer for Corey Washington, who hit five of the Mustang’s 14 total threes — nine of which came in the second half.
North Carolina’s front court got shut down
The frontcourt duo of Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson has been quite dominant this season, averaging a combined 36.3 points and 20.6 rebounds per game while shooting over 60% from the floor coming into this game. SMU decided to put a clamp on that, and the Tar Heel duo finished with just 27 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from the floor.
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The Mustangs plan was to have anyone else beat them, and even though Seth Trimble finished with 22 points, the rest of the team didn’t have the answers without the strong play from the usually reliable front court.
Jarin Stevenson may have found his stroke from downtown
It has been a struggle for Stevenson from beyond the arc this season. After starting the season 4-14, the transfer from Alabama was an abysmal 2-23 from three over the past nine games. He hit 3-4 against SMU for his best long distance shooting of the season. If Stevenson can hit threes regularly, along with a pretty good defensive effort, he is going to be a problem for a lot of teams this season, even if it didn’t work out against the hot shooting Mustangs this game.
