No. 20 UNC men’s basketball defeated No. 10 Alabama 94-79 in its fourth straight loss –

The No. 20 UNC men’s basketball team (4-4) fell 94-79 to the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2) on Wednesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center.

The Tar Heels recorded their fourth straight game with double-digit turnovers, while five Crimson Tide players recorded double-digit turnovers, leading to their worst start in eight games since 2002. Even with a career-high 23 points from first-year guard Ian Jackson, it wasn’t enough to overcome a chaotic North Carolina defensive performance and a 5-28 performance from the 3-point line.

“I just feel like we have a lot more to go to get better as individuals and as a team,” Jackson said.

UNC’s game was chaotic in the first five minutes. As the Crimson Tide got hotter, North Carolina turned the ball over four times and went 2-for-7 from the field. Alabama made three of its final shots before the media timeout with 15:07 left.

Jackson worked to put North Carolina back in the lead from a 13-7 deficit. Jackson grabbed the rebound and drove down the court for a layup. On the next possession, he hit the net from behind the arc.

But Alabama guard Mark Sears stopped the run by making a layup and a three-pointer as North Carolina failed to score points for three minutes. The Crimson Tide continued to fire up from the 3-point line, bringing the Tar Heels to a 13-point deficit with just over eight minutes left.

As the Crimson Tide settled down, North Carolina seemed to find a rhythm.

Supported by a layup from junior guard Seth Trimble, graduate guard RJ Davis drove a quick counterattack to the basket, drawing the foul. Junior forward Ven-Allen Lubin was fouled on the next possession and made both free throws. The Tar Heels trailed 31-24.

Just when UNC seemed to have found its identity, Alabama extended the lead to 10 again. But as the minutes dwindled in the first half, the Tar Heels increased the deficit to seven and closed the half with help from senior forward Jae’Lyn Withers, a dunk from Jackson and a layup from graduate forward Ty Claude.