The North Carolina Tar Heels bounced back from their upset loss to Northern Iowa, and they will have to keep up their effort against a Texas Longhorns squad with a win streak of their own. Now the betting odds for the game have the Tar Heels favored to pick up the road win.
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The senior guard’s uncontested jumper at the buzzer sent the Longhorns to a wild 84-82 victory over No. 3 North Carolina, giving Smart a signature moment a month into his tenure at Texas. It was the first big win of Shaka Smart’s tenure at Texas and it came against a team many believe is the favorite to win the national title.
The Tar Heels have four nonconference games remaining before diving into ACC play December 30 against Clemson. The first by Isaiah Taylor rattled out.
Felix finished with a game-high 25 points, three rebounds and an assist. It was the closest of calls, but after the officials deemed the basket good in real time, they didn’t see enough video evidence to overturn the bucket.
Texas head coach Shaka Smart, right, celebrates with Ryan McClurg, left, and Javan Felix, center, and Cameron Ridley, center rear, after beating North Carolina in an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Austin, Texas.
The sophomore has 15 three-pointers through nine games this season and is an important piece in completing a well-rounded floor for North Carolina. It went in. In the waning seconds of the half, Davis drove and threw up a tough, contested shot and it went in to cut the Tar Heel lead to 44-42 at the half.
Point guard Marcus Paige led the way for UNC with 20 points. After Justin Jackson saved a ball on Texas end of the court, Davis lofted a 27 foot three thinking the shot clock was about to expire. Johnson and Isaiah Hicks each scored 14 for the Tar Heels.
But continuing that success against North Carolina will be a tall task. After spurning previous chances to leave VCU, Smart finally said yes to the Texas offer.
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“That’s a heartbreaker”, Longhorns center Cam Ridley said after the game.
