CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-A team with six players scoring in double digits, including two with double-doubles, should be happy with its performance. But the No. 13 Virginia men's basketball players could not even muster smiles after a heartbreaking 88-81 loss to No. 5 North Carolina last night.
Try as they might, the Cavaliers (13-4, 2-4 ACC) could not dig themselves out of a 15-point first-half deficit against the Tar Heels (16-2, 6-0). Despite double-digit contributions from guards Roger Mason Jr. (17), Keith Friel (10) and Donald Hand (10), forward Adam Hall (14), and a pair of double-doubles from forward Chris Williams (14 points, 11 rebounds) and center Travis Watson (16 points, 10 rebounds), Virginia could not hand North Carolina its first conference loss. Williams and Watson also had double-doubles against Missouri Saturday.
"We got beaten because we didn't play the first 20 minutes," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "You can't fall 15 points behind against a tremendous team and expect to win."
Sloppy defense and dismal shooting put the Cavaliers behind early in the first half. Virginia's vaunted full-court press was nowhere to be found, and the Tar Heels dissected a loose defense for 50 first-half points. Meanwhile, the Carolina defense forced Virginia to take bad shots and make bad decisions. Even when the Cavaliers saw an open shot, the ball did not fall and they shot 32.4 percent in the first half. Only stellar three-point shooting from guards Mason (3-for-4) and Friel (2-for-3) saved Virginia from trailing more than 50-35 at the break.
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"We shot ourselves in the foot," Gillen said. "We made some foolish plays, didn't finish some layups in the first half. We just dug a big hole."
Disgusted with their first-half performance, the Cavaliers viciously tore into the North Carolina lead with an 18-6 run to begin the half. In the two-minute span starting at 17 minutes, 25 seconds to go, Virginia converted on five straight possessions to pull within three points, 54-51.
"Unlike the first half, in the second half everybody believed we could win," Gillen said.
Virginia's sudden offensive resurgence, however, could not drown out Carolina guard Joseph Forte. The sophomore ended the Cavaliers' drive with seven consecutive points off three buckets and a free throw.
"Joe was on a little bit of a roll and I tried to get the ball in his hands," Carolina coach Matt Doherty said. "He seems to focus better when the game is on the line."
Forte stole the rest of the show. He had an answer for everything the Cavaliers threw at the Tar Heels. Whenever Virginia crept within five points of Carolina, Forte hit the big shot and denied Virginia the chance to tie the game. Forte's three-pointer with five minutes left to play and a fade-away jumper over Hall with three minutes left silenced two rallies.
Because of Forte's clutch play, the determined Cavaliers never got within three points of a tie. He finished the game with 33 points, 19 in the second half.
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