Canes Lose Third Straight

I was going to go to this game, but instead caught it on Sun Sports. Nice to see a celebrity turnout of Dwyane Wade and Edgerrin James, along with potential recruit TJ Bryant. Also nice to see a good turnout by the fans, though obviously that was influenced by the opponent.

After a relatively even first period, the Tar Heels rolled over the Canes in the 2nd half and won 98-82. Miami kept it competitive as long as they could, but honestly they were totally outclassed tonight. I'm proud of them for coming out strong and holding a lead late in the 1st half before slowly fading away. They had been coming out flat against ACC opponents and I was beginning to question their mental toughness against quality competition.

The biggest reasons for the loss were turnovers and the inability to keep the Tar Heels off the offensive boards. Our 17 turnovers were devastating, as many of them were silly plays that could have been avoided with some of the focus that was present earlier in the season. Then, I had lauded Frank Haith for keeping his player's heads in the game. Now, they are all over the place at the most crucial moments.

I don't have exact numbers, but UNC had something like 20-10 advantage on the offensive glass. That's way too many 2nd, 3rd and 4th chance points against a team that has much more talent than you do. Had they been able to cut down on those, Miami would have stood a better chance of winning.

Aside from that, Jack McClinton had a quiet night and Eddie Rios looked out of place in a big game. Jimmy Graham's energy was a big help in staying within striking distance, and Lance Hurdle was pretty much the only reason Miami wasn't blown out.

The schedule doesn't get any easier from here as the Canes head into the heart of conference play with a 1-3 record. That NC State game was a killer, because nobody could have really expected to win this game. If they don't turn things around soon, talk about this team getting a win or two in the Tourney will be proven premature.