### Ole Miss Holds Off Late Comeback, Ends UNC Men’s Basketball’s Season in NCAA First Round
**Milwaukee, Wis. – March 21, 2025** – In a game that encapsulated the rollercoaster nature of the 2024-25 North Carolina Tar Heels season, No. 6 seed Ole Miss withstood a furious second-half rally to defeat No. 11 seed UNC 71-64 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s South Region at Fiserv Forum on Friday afternoon. The loss ended Carolina’s campaign at 23-14, marking only the third time since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that the storied program bowed out in the Round of 64.
The Tar Heels, who entered the tournament as one of the most controversial at-large selections after a bubble-dwelling regular season, never led in the contest – a rarity for a program accustomed to dictating terms. Ole Miss (now 23-11) jumped out early, building an 18-point halftime lead and extending it to 22 points early in the second half before UNC’s trademark resilience kicked in. A late 11-0 run brought the Heels within four points, but clutch plays from Rebels transfer guard Sean Pedulla and timely free throws sealed the upset for coach Chris Beard’s squad.
“It wasn’t the great first half that we started off with, but to pull all the way through in the second half and be right there just speaks to this whole season,” said UNC head coach Hubert Davis postgame. “There were only two choices coming out in the second half: respond with fight or get embarrassed. I was really proud of how our guys fought back.”
The opening minutes set a tone that UNC could never fully shake. Ole Miss, riding hot shooting from beyond the arc, raced to an 11-2 lead in the first four minutes, hitting 4-of-5 from the field while Carolina labored to 1-of-4. The Rebels connected on 10 of their first 13 shots overall, including 6-of-7 from three-point range, turning the game into a track meet that favored their athleticism and perimeter attack.
By halftime, Ole Miss led 44-26 – the second-largest halftime deficit UNC had faced in an NCAA Tournament game. The Tar Heels shot a dismal 9-for-26 in the first half, struggling to find rhythm against a swarming Rebels defense that forced fouls and disrupted passing lanes. Carolina’s defense, often a strength down the stretch of the season, couldn’t contain Ole Miss without sending them to the line repeatedly.
Senior guard Sean Pedulla, a Virginia Tech transfer who had tormented ACC teams in prior years, proved the difference-maker for Ole Miss. Pedulla poured in key buckets, including a late three-pointer that halted UNC’s momentum, and finished with a team-high in scoring (exact stats varied by report, but he was pivotal in the clutch). Jaemyn Brakefield and Matthew Murrell provided secondary scoring, while the Rebels dominated the glass 40-34 – shocking given Ole Miss entered the game ranked 337th nationally in rebounding margin.
For UNC, the story was missed opportunities. The Heels shot just 5-of-24 from three-point range (20.8%) and missed 13 layups and five free throws in a game decided by single digits. Graduate guard R.J. Davis, playing in his final collegiate contest after a decorated five-year career, led Carolina with 15 points but couldn’t replicate his heroics from the First Four win over San Diego State. Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, ends his UNC tenure as the program’s all-time leading three-point maker and a likely future jersey honoree in the Smith Center rafters.
Forward Ven-Allen Lubin added 14 points, and sophomore Jalen Washington provided sparks off the bench with dunks that ignited the comeback. But inconsistencies plagued the Heels: junior guard Seth Trimble battled foul trouble, freshman Drake Powell missed a potential tying three late, and the team reverted to early-season form with poor execution in the half-court.
“That wasn’t us the last two months,” Coach Davis lamented. “That was us the first four months.” Indeed, UNC’s season was defined by duality – a 1-12 record against Quad 1 opponents early on gave way to an 8-2 finish that sneaked them into the field as the last at-large bid. Their dominant 95-68 First Four thrashing of San Diego State, fueled by 14 made threes, offered hope of a Cinderella run. Instead, Friday’s performance echoed losses to teams like Clemson and Wake Forest, where slow starts and rebounding lapses proved fatal.
The loss amplified questions surrounding Hubert Davis’s fourth season at the helm. Entering the year with national title aspirations after a 2022 runner-up finish in his debut campaign, Davis’s Tar Heels underachieved relative to preseason top-10 billing. A 101-45 record through four years is respectable, but recent NCAA exits – including this one – have fueled debate over recruiting, player development, and in-game adjustments. Davis’s contract extension through 2030 remains secure, but the fanbase’s frustration boiled over on social media and message boards.
For Ole Miss, the win marks their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2015 and only the fourth Round of 32 appearance in program history (1999, 2001, 2013, now 2025). Beard, in his second year, has revitalized a Rebels program that finished sixth in the loaded SEC. They advance to face No. 3 seed Iowa State on Sunday, with momentum from outlasting a blue-blood.
Back in Chapel Hill, the offseason begins abruptly. R.J. Davis departs as a legend, but transfers loom: point guard Elliot Cadeau entered the portal days after the loss, signaling roster upheaval. Incoming recruits like five-star forward Caleb Wilson offer optimism, but UNC must address perimeter shooting, interior toughness, and consistency to reclaim elite status.
This defeat stung particularly because of the fight shown in the final 20 minutes. Trailing by 22, the Heels clawed back with defensive intensity and transition buckets, cutting it to 63-59 on an 11-0 spurt. Washington’s thunderous dunks and Trimble’s hustle brought Fiserv Forum to life with Carolina blue faithful who made the trek to Milwaukee.
Yet, in the end, Ole Miss made the plays that mattered. Pedulla’s dagger three, followed by free throws, silenced the rally. As the buzzer sounded, Tar Heels players lingered on the court – Trimble with a towel over his head, Davis staring blankly – processing a season that promised more but delivered familiar heartbreak.
The ACC’s dismal tournament showing (only Duke advancing deep) underscored broader conference struggles, but for UNC, the focus turns inward. Another March ends too soon for one of college basketball’s giants, leaving fans to wonder when the next deep run will come.
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