Overview
- Cal shot 50% overall and 10-of-16 from three, marking the fourth straight game UNC has allowed 40% or better from deep and pushing opponents to 72 made threes since ACC play began.
- North Carolina went 60.7% at the free-throw line compared with Cal’s 75%, a difference that loomed large in a two-possession finish.
- Rebounding totals were even at 34, but Cal owned the key margins with an 18-10 edge in second-chance points and a 26-24 advantage on the defensive glass.
- Freshman Derek Dixon made his first start at lead guard, logging 30 minutes with 14 points on 4-of-8 from three and a team-best +5 plus-minus as the staff adjusted rotations.
- Fan frustration with head coach Hubert Davis intensified on social media, while analysis pieces stressed his narrow margin for error and framed the next stretch of ACC games as a response test.