That included missing their first 11 3-point tries and finishing 1 for 14 from behind the arc, an area where they had thrived since Williams inserted 6-foot-5 sophomore P.J. Hairston into the starting lineup at the 4-spot.
Hairston finished with 14 points on 4-for-12 shooting and hit the Tar Heels' only 3 to cut the deficit to 63-49 at the 5-minute mark. But Quinn Cook answered with two driving baskets, the second a hanging shot that dropped through as the shot clock expired and took back any fleeting momentum North Carolina had built.
Cook scored 12 and completely outplayed UNC freshman point guard Marcus Paige, who regressed from his recent strong play with four points on 1-for-6 shooting and five turnovers.
"We did keep fighting, and we never gave in," Hairston said. "We still played offense and still tried to make shots, and we still tried to do different things on the defensive end to slow them down. They were just making everything they put up."
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