Without Cole Anthony, No. 17 North Carolina falls to Wofford at old Carmichael Arena
Roy Williams’ short move across campus didn’t work out so well.
No. 17 North Carolina fell to Wofford 68-64 on Saturday at Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels’ third straight loss and fourth in their past five games.
The game was moved to Carmichael Arena due to a graduation ceremony at the Dean Smith Center, their usual home. It marked just the second game at the arena since the program moved to the Smith Center 33 years ago. They had played an NIT game there in 2010 while the Smith Center was being renovated.
Though the move to the historic home was sure to be a fun trip down memory lane for Tar Heels fans everywhere, it clearly didn’t help Williams’ struggling team any.
After holding a four-point lead at halftime, the Terriers snagged control of the game with a massive 16-0 run midway through the second half. While North Carolina nearly rallied back and cut the deficit to less than five points multiple times in the final minutes, it simply wasn’t enough.
Trevor Stumpe led Wofford with 19 points and five rebounds, shooting 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. Storm Murphy added 15 points, and Messiah Jones put up 13 off the bench.
Brooks led North Carolina with a double-double, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Brandon Robinson added a career-high 16 points in the loss. Those two, however, were the only players to score in double figures for the Tar Heels.
Though he enjoyed the experience playing at Carmichael Arena, Williams is more focused on his team’s struggles.
If they can turn things around, he doesn’t care where they play at.
“Somebody asked me if I was excited about playing here,” Williams said, via Sports Illustrated. “I’m excited about playing better. I’ll take it in a red barn and go play if we can play better than we have been playing. I love this place. I’ve said all the things I can say … I loved the opportunity to play here, but I’ll play in a damn red forest if we play better and be a lot happier.”
Cole Anthony out with knee injury
A big part of the Tar Heels’ struggles on Saturday was due to the absence of their star guard.
Cole Anthony was ruled out indefinitely with a right knee injury, the team announced on Sunday morning. Treatment plans for the freshman “will be evaluated and determined” in the coming days. Sophomore Leaky Black also missed the loss on Sunday while dealing with a sprained right foot. Black, who has backed Anthony up all season long, is out on a “game-to-game” basis.
Anthony has averaged 19.1 points and 6.3 rebounds so far for North Carolina while playing just more than 33 minutes per game. He put up 12 points and four rebounds in their loss to No. 9 Virginia last week, and had 15 points and three assists in their loss to No. 3 Ohio State earlier this month. He is widely expected to be a top pick in the NBA draft next June.
There isn’t a timeline for his return, but Anthony’s injury is sure to be a brutal blow for the Tar Heels — especially for their marquee matchup against No. 6 Gonzaga in Washington, a game he’s likely to miss.
Regardless, Williams was happy with the effort his team showed without Anthony and Black the lineup. Hopefully, he said, they’re better for it in the long run.
“I think I got decent response,” Williams said, via Sports Illustrated. “They played exceptionally hard, trying to do the right things. The guys were out there trying to play … We’re going to benefit in the long run from it, but it doesn’t make it any more pleasant to go through right now.”
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