Playing in front of a raucous but often times stunned crowd at the Dean Smith Center, Brown almost pulled off the biggest shocker of the young NCAA season against No. 19 UNC.
Mike Martin’s squad went toe-to-toe against Hubert Davis’ Tar Heels but ultimately could not overcome injuries, foul trouble and the late-game heroics of RJ Davis. Despite huge nights from Dan Friday and first-year Nana Owusu-Anane, the Bears fell, 94-87.
Things did not look good for the Bears (1-1) as they arrived for their first game against a Division I opponent in 616 days. The team’s leader and 2020 second team All-Ivy forward Tamenang Choh was sitting on the bench in street clothes. Choh has a hip injury and is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, according to ACC Network analyst and Columbia hoops alum Dalen Cuff. With Choh out and 2020 Defensive Player of the Year Jaylan Gainey still not at 100% following a preseason injury and a bout with mononucleosis, Bruno would need others to step up if they had any hope of tackling the Tar Heels (2-0).
Friday, Owusu-Anane and recent Loyola Chicago transfer Paxson Wojcik were ready for that challenge, combining for 31 first-half points on 55% shooting. The Bears consistently found paths to the hoop and took it right at UNC’s big men, finishing the first frame with a 66% shooting percentage from inside the arc.
The game started out close, with eight lead changes over the first seven minutes. With the Heels clinging to a 34-31 lead at the six-minute mark, Brown went on a 10-0 run to claim its biggest advantage of the game. UNC battled back, using back-to-back three pointers from Davis to tie the score at 47 with 28 seconds left on the clock. First-year wing Aaron Cooley wasn’t fazed, knocking down his own three at the buzzer to give Bruno the three-point lead heading into the locker room.
The second half didn’t start off well for the Bears as Gainey picked up his fourth foul at the 19:49 mark and David Mitchell picked up fouls three and four a minute later. Mitchell would eventually pick up his fifth foul with just over 14 minutes left in regulation with Brown holding on to a 61-58 lead.
After a Wojcik jumper gave the Bears a 68-62 advantage, the Heels went on a 10-2 run to go ahead 72-70 with 9:44 remaining. With the contest knotted at 74 a minute and a half later, Gainey picked up foul number five. It was a difficult night for the 6’9″ senior, managing only two points over 11 minutes. While he did not pick up any rebounds, he blocked two shots.
Once Gainey went to the bench, Brady Manek made one of two from the free throw line to put the Heels back in front. Owusu-Anane hit a bank shot three from the top of the arc to give Brown the 77-75 lead with just over seven minutes left on the clock, but it would the last one of the night. The Heels finally clamped down on the Bears’ shooting, limiting them to only 4-for-15 shooting the rest of the way, while Davis hit a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to put the game out of reach.
It was a hot shooting night for both teams. Brown made 56% (30-for-54) from two and 37% (7-for-19) from three, while UNC hit a similar 56% (23-for-41) from inside the arc and 43% (9-for-21) from outside. Offensively, the biggest difference was at the charity stripe, where UNC went 21-for-28 where Bruno only went 6-for-9. On the defensive side, the Heels controlled the glass with a +9 and +12% edge, helping the home team to a 19-9 advantage in second-chance points.
Friday ended his impressive night with 21 points on 57% shooting, five assists, four rebounds and one turnover. Owusu-Anane totaled 20 points on 53% from the field and 8 rebounds. Wojcik added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists, while first-year backup guard Kino Lilly had 12 points on 63% shooting in 29 minutes.
For the victors, Davis ended with a career-high 26 points and six three-pointers, while Armando Bacot finished as the KenPom MVP with 22 points on 91% (10-for-11) shooting from the field.
While Choh remains on the disabled list, the Bears return to action on Sunday against Central Connecticut State (0-1) at the Pizzitola Sports Center. The game has a 4 p.m. tip-off and will be available on ESPN+.