Can we just play the second half?
That's what Thoroughbreds fans must be asking as another slow start led to defeat as Blue Lights fell to the North Carolina JV squad 82-73 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill Wednesday night.
The Dean Done inspires its own awe in visiting teams, and the cavernous dimensions may have also contributed depth-perception challenges to BLC shooters, who only connected on 33% of their field goals in the first half and just 20% from long range. Meanwhile the home-standing Tar Heels (3-1) had no trouble finding the range, hitting for almost 55% from the field and 7-for-10 from beyond the arc before intermission for a 45-25 halftime advantage.
As has happened in other losses, the Thoroughbreds (2-4) regrouped in the second half. Sharper shooting, particularly by Kenny Anderson, Jr., and a tighter defensive effort allowed the Herd to claw back into the game, cutting the deficit to four with less than six minutes to play. But the deficit was just too much to overcome.
Anderson led all scorers with 21 points, including five 3-pointers. Anthony Hill, Jr. added 12.
Jake Rutter led the Heels' balanced scoring effort with 16.
The game was a lead-up to the UNC-Elon varsity contest.
BLC has a short turnaround as it travels to Appalachian Bible College for a mens-womens doubleheader tonight in West Virginia.
