bgorman@heraldsun.com; 419-6668
CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams and his players insist they are not giving up on their season just yet, even though they know they will not be going to the NCAA Tournament unless they win the ACC Tournament.
And for a stretch of the second half against Florida State on Wednesday, the Tar Heels put up a fight, whittling a 23-point deficit to 11 with three minutes to go.
But just like in nine of the past 11 games, UNC could not make enough of a surge at the end as the Seminoles took a 77-67 victory at the Smith Center. It was the fifth straight loss for the Tar Heels and FSU's first win in Chapel Hill since 2000.
"Get better every day, that's all you can do," said UNC's Will Graves, who finished with a game-high 21 points. "We still have games left in the season, so there's no need to just quit. We can always learn something.
"Even when you're winning, you can always learn something. So I know when we're losing, we can learn something."
UNC (14-14) has just three more conference games before the ACC Tournament. The loss puts Tar Heels in jeopardy of missing an invitation to the NIT, which has not taken a team with a losing record in the past four years.
"It's easy to be in this position and say, 'The heck with it,' " said fifth-year senior Marcus Ginyard, who had seven points and 10 rebounds. "But we've got to come back here and practice tomorrow and try to get better."
The Seminoles had four players finish in double figures, led by Chris Singleton with 19 points and Deividas Dulkys with 17.
A 3-pointer by Dulkys -- his fifth and final of the night -- five minutes into the second half gave FSU (20-7, 8-5 ACC) its largest lead at 59-36.
Then UNC (3-10 ACC) began to close the gap. The Tar Heels went on a 23-11 run over the next 13 minutes, and by the time freshman Dexter Strickland hit two free throws with 2:50 to play, his team trailed 70-59.
But FSU responded on the other end with a dunk, and UNC never got closer than nine after that.
"Overall, I think we played with a lot of intensity, a lot of focus and I think a lot of that is as a result of the respect we have for North Carolina," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We know that they are a very young, talented team and that they are very capable and that, at some point, they are going to start maturing and hitting on all cylinders."
With forwards David and Travis Wear and Ed Davis sitting on the bench with injuries, the Tar Heels were outrebounded for the third straight game 36-31.
And unfortunately for UNC's depleted frontcourt, it does not look like David Wear will be returning this season. A team spokesman said doctors still are looking at David, but he is likely out for the rest of the season with loose bodies, possibly cartilage, in his left hip that is causing a clicking when he runs. The injury happened in practice a week ago when he came down with a rebound on Henson's foot.
"It would help to have Ed and Travis and Dave, the whole bit, but those are excuses," Williams said. "We've got to play better."
NOTES -- Attendance was announced at 15,779, but the arena appeared to be about two-thirds full. "It's what it is," Williams said. "I just appreciate those people that are there. It doesn't make you feel good, there's no question about that. It's what it is."
