Tar Heels Choke, Lose to VCU in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 20, in a shocking upset, the North Carolina tar heels blew a 19-point lead in the second half and fell to VCU-82-2. 78 in overtime during the first round of the NCAA tournament. Carolina couldn't buy a basket over the final seven minutes and 44 seconds of regulation, going zero for their last feel goal attempts while. Missing key free throws down the stretch. VCU mounted a furious comeback, shooting 62% from the field in the second half behind Terrence Hill's massive 34 points. The Rams made 13 of 16 shots during one brutal stretch, fueled by Carolina's turnovers and poor decisions, including a rare 5-second. Violation with the timeout still available. Fans and analysts are reeling from the loss, which marked several unwanted firsts for the storied program, back-to-back opening round defeats, and... wrapping the season zero and three after dropping the regular season finale and their ACC tournament opener.

1:00It's only the third time Carolina has lost to a double-digit seed in tournament history. The first half showed promise with strong defense, holding VCU to 34.5% shooting and dominating inside. But that crumbled as the bench provided just seven points compared to VCU's 42, and starters like Henry Vissar and Seth Trimble struggled at. The line in crunch time. Now heading into the off season, the Tar Heel Space big questions about execution and depth, though Trimble's four-year commitment earns lasting. Respect as Carolina resets for next season.