Gameday Thread: UNC vs. Notre Dame

North Carolina searches for its first ACC victory of the 2020-21 season against Notre Dame at home on Saturday. In a great appetizer for the Orange Bowl, tune into ACC Network at 4:00pm to watch and keep it locked here for live updates.

CHAPEL HILL, NC - The Tar Heels were originally scheduled to play Syracuse today. Unfortunately, the Orange went on a COVID pause (their third of the season) on December 21 which extended beyond today.

Thankfully, on New Year's Eve, it was announced that Notre Dame's game against Pittsburgh scheduled for today was also postponed due to a COVID pause in the Pittsburgh program. It was decided that the Irish would travel to Chapel Hill and take on Carolina today at 4:00pm (ACC Network).

After utilizing the same starting lineup for the first eight games of the season (Caleb Love, RJ Davis, Leaky Black, Garrison Brooks, and Armando Bacot), Roy Williams switched things up for game nine against Georgia Tech. Davis and Bacot were joined by Andrew Platek, Kerwin Walton, and Day'Ron Sharpe in the starting lineup while Love, Black, and ACC Preseason Player of the Year Brooks started on the bench.

The Tar Heels and Irish played twice last season and split the two match-ups. The first game was the season opener (you might recall that the ACC scheduled conference games to start the season given the launch of the ACC Network) in which the Tar Heels won 76-65 at home. Cole Anthony scored a career-high 34 points and gathered 11 rebounds in his college debut to lead the Tar Heels to victory.

In the rematch in South Bend, Notre Dame grabbed a 77-76 victory on a Nate Laszewski three-pointer with two seconds left on the clock. The loss was just one of a host of heartbreaking losses for the Tar Heels in the 2019-20 season.

What will happen today?
Will Carolina go with its regular starters or utilize another iteration?
Will the Tar Heels capture their first conference victory of the season?
Will they be able to cut down on the turnovers that have plagued them thus far in the 2020-21 season?

Tune in at 4:00pm to find out.

Starters:

North Carolina

• Caleb Love
• Kerwin Walton
• Leaky Black
• Armando Bacot
• Day'Ron Sharpe

Notre Dame

• Prentiss Hubb
• Cormac Ryan
• Juwan Durham
• Nate Laszewski
• Dane Goodwin

First Half:

• Turnovers for both teams on their first possession
• Mike Brey is in shorts!
• Notre Dame starting out in zone. A wise move against the Tar Heels.
• Brooks checks in and grabs a steal and then a nice kick-out assist to Kerwin Walton for a three.
• Notre Dame leads 8-7 at the under 16:00 timeout. Carolina already has 4 turnovers.
• Notre Dame has three three-pointers in first six minutes.
• But now Carolina has three of their own (two for Walton, one for Black).
• Under-12:00 timeout, Heels up 17-14. UNC has more offensive rebounds (5) than total rebounds for Notre Dame (2).
• Thus far, Carolina has missed six shots and rebounded five of them.
• Under 8:00 timeout, Irish up 19-17 and will shoot two free throws after the break. Carolina hasn't scored in 4:17.
• Scoring drought ends up being 5:13 in length. Walker Kessler gets a bucket and then a block at the other end.
• Garrison Brooks three! It's his second in as many games and matches how many he had all of last season.
• Under-4:00 timeout. Carolina has closed the lead to 2 (26-24). Sharpe leads the way with 6 points. 
• A dunk from Bacot (his first points on the day) gives Carolina the lead back at 27-26. Follows that up with two free throws on the next trip. 29-26 Tar Heels.
• Leaky Black running the point in the last couple minutes of the half.
• Quick timeout with :20 left before halftime. Notre Dame has re-taken the lead, 30-29. Carolina ball after the break.
• Brooks misses a mid-range jumper at the buzzer. Notre Dame leads 30-29 at the half.

Second Half:

• Second half starters for Carolina: Davis, Walton, Black, Sharpe, Bacot.
• Great start to the second half: Inside to Sharpe for a lay-up, plus the free throw. Heels lead 32-30.
• 0 points for Davis and Love in the first half.
• Davis, though, cashes in on a three-pointer early in the half. Ties the game at 35.
• Under-16:00 timeout: Notre Dame leads 38-35. Carolina ball after the break.
• Kerwin Walton knocks in his 3rd three-pointer of the game. Heels down two, 40-38. 
• Under-12:00 timeout with 11:51 to go: Notre Dame leads 46-41. Irish ball after the break.
• 4 straight points for Day'ron Sharpe get the Heels within one (46-45).
• But the ANOTHER three-pointer for Nate Laszewski (his 5th of the day) grows lead back to four for Notre Dame.
• Day'ron Sharpe is trying to single-handedly will the Tar Heels to victory. 
• Make that six threes for Laszewski. 54-48 Notre Dame.
• SEVEN threes for Laszewski.
• Caleb Love finally scores and has five quick points.
• Under-8:00 timeout with 6:45 left: Notre Dame leads 57-53. Carolina ball after the break.
• Sharpe is up to 21 points. First Tar Heel this season to score 20+.
• Sharpe has a quick six points for Carolina and the Heels are now back in front for the first time this half, 59-57.
• Under-4:00 timeout with 3:22 left: Game tied at 59. Notre Dame ball after the break.
• Tar Heels only have two turnovers this half.
• Back-to-back offensive rebounds lead to a Kerwin Walton three (his fourth) and the Heels are back in front 62-61.
• Heels have 21 offensive rebounds, the most of the season. Previous high was 20 against Texas.
• Huge dunk for Sharpe gives Heels the lead back, 64-63. 80 seconds left.
• ND misses two free throws. Carolina ball up one. One minute left.
• Notre Dame lay-up gives the Irish a one-point lead with :30 left (65-64). Carolina timeout. 
• :28 left in the game, :23 on the shot clock.
• Leaky Black driving lay-up gives Carolina a 66-65 lead with 0:09 left. ND timeout.
• Notre Dame misses a shot and nobody can corral the rebound before the buzzer sounds. Carolina wins 66-65.

Stay tuned for Quick Hitters to come later today.