CHAPEL HILL, N.C. _ In the midst of North Carolina's seven-game losing streak earlier this month, its players were sure, even adamant, that they were getting better.
For many, that was hard to see. Before UNC's 85-79 win over N.C. State, the Tar Heels were 0-7 in February.
But their win over the Wolfpack was the first sign of proof _ even for them _ that maybe they were right.
Before Tuesday's game, UNC (11-17, 4-13 ACC) had held a double-digit lead in the second half in 10 games this season. It was 2-8 in those games.
But on Tuesday, when faced with that scenario again _ an 11-point lead with 8:33 left _ the Tar Heels did what they needed to do to secure the win: They hit their free throws and got defensive stops.
"I told them we were going to play our play tail off is what we were going to do," UNC coach Roy Williams said Tuesday. "Come on and do it now. They had to do it themselves."
Now that the Tar Heels have overcome what had become a mental hurdle, they hope it will carry over into their game against Syracuse (16-12, 9-8 ACC) at the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
Like the Tar Heels, the Orange, who have won two consecutive games, will likely need to win the ACC tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. So the last stretch for these two teams will be crucial as they try to gather momentum before the conference tournament begins.
"We're not your typical bottom team," UNC senior Brandon Robinson said Tuesday. "I feel like we can beat anybody in the league. I feel like we're a scary matchup for anybody in the tournament. And I think, going forward, we've just got to keep building off this."
