Tar Heels Fight On, Despite Wilson's Loss

0:00On March 15, the North Carolina Tar Heels suffered a close loss to Clemson, falling 80-79 in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. Despite the defeat, they should still earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Making things tougher, the team is without their top player, Caleb Wilson, who suffered a season-ending thumb injury. He led them in scoring in 19.8 points per game, along with 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks. The Heels trod by as much as 18 points in the second half before rallying. But it wasn't enough to pull ahead. Forward, Jaren Stevenson pointed out their slow start, in lack of early energy after scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds himself. Stevenson stressed the knee for more pride and hunger, moving forward, especially with seniors possibly facing their final games. He said someone has to step up and set the tone from the start. Now, eyeing the big dances underdogs, the Tar Heels must find that missing fire and contributions from everywhere to avoid an early exit and chase A deeper run.