North Carolina - Texas: Gameday Open Thread

Tar Heels look to win the Maui Invitational for the fifth in program history as they face familiar foe, Texas.

North Carolina looks to take home the trophy today in the championship game abasing Texas at the Maui Invitational.

Tar Heels defeated Stanford last night despite 24 turnovers and multiple lead changes. The win over the Cardinals earned UNC their seventh trip to the Invitational finals. Carolina has won the Maui Invitational four times (1999-2000 under head coach Bill Guthridge and 2004-05, 2008-09 and 2016- 17 under Roy Williams). UNC is 4-2 in Maui finals.

Carolina is 3-8 against Texas. The Longhorns are one of only 10 teams that have played UNC multiple times and have a winning record against the Tar Heels. Carolina’s last win over Texas came on 12/21/11 in Chapel Hill.

UNC Starting five against Texas for the championship trophy at the Maui Invitational: Leaky Black, Garrison Brooks, RJ Davis, Armando Bacot, and Caleb Love

First Half:

• Caleb Love gives North Carolina their first points of the night against Texas, 3-0
• Garrison Brooks with the light rim bounce off a beautiful spin move, Heels 5-2
• Media Timeout and Armando continues to showcase his power in the paint creating second chance points for the Heels. UNC leads, 7-5.
• 13:03: Bacot misses both free throes and the score favors the Heels, 9-8.
• And just like that Texas takes a monstrous lead, 22-15
• Texas is currently on a 12-0 run over the last 1:06.
• Puff Johnson, Kerwin Walton, Garrison Brooks, Day'Ron Sharpe and KJ Smith in for Carolina
• Kerwin Walton with a bug three for Carolina. Texas still leads the game, 30-20
• Leaky Black with a big three helping cut the Texas deficit, 40-26

Halftime in Asheville: Texas leads Carolina, 40-28 

Carolina leaders: Points: Brooks, 7 Rebounds: Bacot, 7 Assists: Davis, 1 Carolina Stats: FG: 11-27 FT: 3-11 Turnovers: 10 Rebounds: 25 Assists: 1

Second Half:

• Carolina now pulls within 6 with an explosive opening of the second half.
• Carolina is currently on a 6-0 run bringing them within two of Texas, 42-40
• Carolina is closing in on the Longhorns but cant seem to finish the job. 
• Media Timeout at the 11:42 mark. Texas still has a lead, 52-46. North Carolina is 9-19 at the free-throw line
• Carolina closes in, 56-52.
• Missed free throws seem to be a serious problem for this team. Carolina is 15-28 from the line. 
• With 3:54 to go for the trophy, Carolina is only down by 1, 63-62. Carolina will visit the line after the media timeout.
• Carolina needs a practice of free throws (16-30) and lay-ups (12-20)
• Texas with a dunk and the lead, 67-65
• Leaky Black coming up big again for the Heels to tie the game at 67
• Matt Coleman III with the dagger 2 pointer to win the Maui Invitational for the first time in Longhorn history.