bgorman@heraldsun.com; 419-6668
ARLINGTON, Texas — Before the season began, all the hype surrounding North Carolina revolved around its talented and deep frontcourt.
Even though the defending national champions lost four starters, the Tar Heels returned three experienced forwards and added a trio of highly touted freshmen to be dubbed the best frontline in the nation by SI.com.
But Saturday against No. 2 Texas, 10th-ranked UNC hardly looked like it had the top frontcourt in the country.
The Longhorns outrebounded the Tar Heels 60-41 and outscored UNC by 10 in the paint for a 103-90 victory in the first-ever basketball game played in the new billion-dollar Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
“Most of my teams have always been really good rebounding teams but Texas just killed us on the backboards,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “That so-called best frontline in America — Dexter Pittman kicked our tails by himself.”
Pittman, Texas’ senior center, used his 6-10, 290 pound frame to own the inside as he grabbed 15 rebounds and added 23 points. Teammate Damion James, a 6-7, 225 pound senior forward, finished with a game-high 25 points and also added 15 rebounds.
Pittman and James are Texas’ two biggest players that play the most and they dominated a much taller Tar Heel squad, which has six players that stand at 6-9 or taller.
“Maybe we’re just not as good as everyone thought we were,” said UNC’s Deon Thompson, who finished with a season-low eight points on 3-for-12 shooting and added seven rebounds. “Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way certain nights and things like that. We just got to continue to work and continue to move forward.”
At the start of the game it looked like things were going the Tar Heels’ way as they took a 34-31 lead and had held James, who entered the game averaging a double-double, to just two points. But over the final six minutes of the first half UNC (8-3) turned the ball over five times as Texas (10-0) went on a 23-7 run to take a 54-41 lead into halftime.
“That run that they went on at the end of the first half just kind of put us in a hole,” Thompson said.
It was just the second time this season UNC has trailed at halftime, but much like it did when it was down against Kentucky at the break, the Tar Heels made a run in the second half. After being down by as many as 17, UNC kept chipping away and Marcus Ginyard — who returned to the starting lineup after missing last week’s win over Presbyterian with a bruise on the bottom of his left foot — kickstarted a 10-4 UNC run. Ginyard scored eight during the stretch and his jumper cut the deficit to 82-78 with 6:59 to go.
But it would be as close as the Tar Heels would get the rest of the way.
After Larry Drew II air balled a 3-pointer that could’ve made it a one-point game, UNC turned the ball over on three straight possessions as Texas used an 11-4 run to push their lead back up to 93-82 with 4:01 to play. The Tar Heels never threatened again.
“We told them the game was going to be decided right around the basket,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “We actually told our guys that blocked out’s not enough, you’ve got to go get it.”
The Longhorns had 29 offensive rebounds — 12 of which belonged to Pittman — and scored 27 points off second chance baskets. The Tar Heels, on the other hand, had just 12 offensive rebounds and recorded 11 points off those buckets. Ed Davis led UNC with 21 points and nine rebounds.
“Pittman you can’t really move him,” said UNC’s Tyler Zeller, who stands at 7-0 and had three rebounds. “If he’s sitting down low you’re not moving him. It’s just one of those things where you just got to have a lot of help.”
Ginyard said once again said UNC didn’t have any energy and Texas played with more intensity, but also acknowledged that the Longhorns are ranked for a reason. Texas was the third top-10 opponent UNC has faced in the past four games, and the senior said there was no doubt in his mind the Longhorns were the best team the Tar Heels have faced so far.
“They did a fantastic job of attacking us on the perimeter and obviously inside,” said Ginyard, who finished with 13 points. “They kept us down all game.”
NOTES — It was the most points UNC has given up in the Williams era since Wake Forest scored 119 in a triple-overtime victory in December 2003. …Davis recorded four of UNC’s nine blocks. …Larry Drew II had a season-high five turnovers.
