WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Seed # 8 The North Carolina season came to an end on Friday night when it fell to seed No. 9 Wisconsin, 85-62.
The Badgers played the type of game they wanted, controlling the pace and dropping three-point kicks. They also relied on their experienced guards – D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison – to lead the way.
Davison finished with 29 points, the best of the season, in 10 out of 15 shots. He had 5 of 7 from beyond the hoop, which tied with his record for the season. Trice added 21 points out of 8 out of 15 shots with three points out of three. He had five rebounds and three assists as well. Davison and Trice were the only two double-digit badgers. As a team, Wisconsin hit 50.8% of the ground and 48.1% of 3, making up 10 of its 16 final trees.
For UNC, it was unable to use its strengths in the countryside in the first half. His great Armando Bacot quartet, Garrison Brooks, Walker Kessler and Day’Ron Sharpe were 2 of 11 in the first half with five points. Bacot was extremely aggressive outside the gates in the second half and finished with 15 points, all in the second half, with 6 of 9 shots after shooting in the first half.
It wasn’t Brooks’ best night on the pitch, as he made 4 of 12 shots, but he finished with 10 points and led the team with 10 rebounds. Love also struggled to shoot, reaching 4 out of 13 with 10 points. The Badgers forced Tar Heels into many difficult shots and even when UNC found an offensive pace, he failed to stop defensive.
The defeat in the first round is the first in the career of UNC coach Roy Williams. Watch and read everything the Hall of Fame head coach said after the defeat: