Top-25 foes collide in Battle 4 Atlantis action

Nov 27, 2014 - 3:27 PM Nassau, Bahamas (SportsNetwork.com) - The 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins and the fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels both unexpectedly fell to the consolation side of the bracket at the Battle 4 Atlantis and will square off at Imperial Arena on Thursday night.

The winner takes on either Florida or UAB in the fifth-place game, while the losers will face off for seventh place.

UCLA opened the season on a four-game homestand and came away victorious in every outing by double-digit margins, but its quest for a title in this tournament came to an abrupt end on Wednesday afternoon when it was defeated by Oklahoma, 75-65.

UNC had done nothing during its first three games to disprove itself as the No. 5 team in the nation, winning each by at least 16 points, and it came into this event as one of the favorites, but in the quarterfinal round it was upset by Butler, 74-66, to fall to the consolation side of the bracket.

These historic programs have met nine times before, with UNC holding a 6-3 advantage

In a back-and-forth bout, the Bruins held a seven-point lead midway through the second half but fell victim to a 26-8 run by Oklahoma to end the game en route to a 10-point setback. They shot only 37.7 percent from the field on the afternoon, including 4-of-17 from 3-point range (.235), and they had an awful day at the free-throw line as well (9-of-21). Kevon Looney struggled with his shot (6-of-15) but still finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. Bryce Alford led the team with 19 points, while Tony Parker logged nine points and eight rebounds.

It was an uncharacteristically poor offensive performance for UCLA, which shoots 47 percent from the field this season (including 39.2 percent from 3- point range) on its way to 89.2 ppg, production that successfully masks a modest scoring defense (72.2 ppg). Alford is not only the team's leading scorer, putting up 19.8 ppg with a nearly perfect start from the foul line (20-of-22), but also finds time to hand out 8.2 apg. Norman Powell (18.6 ppg) and Looney (15.0 ppg, 12.6 rpg) are also outstanding playmakers, and Parker (12.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Isaac Hamilton (12.0 ppg) round out one of the best starting lineups in the country.

The Tar Heels carried a slim 35-32 lead into intermission in their opening test of the tournament but lost control of the game midway through the second half following a 16-4 Butler run, and they failed to get within three points of the lead in the final 13 minutes. Although they played outstanding defense - holding Butler to less than 31 percent field goal shooting while forcing 19 turnovers - they could not take advantage on the other end of the court by shooting just 38.6 percent themselves, including 4-of-16 from 3-point range. Marcus Paige fell victim to the shooting struggles at just 5-of-17 from the floor, but he generated enough volume to pick up a game-high 18 points. Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks netted 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Kennedy Meeks tallied seven points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.

On the season, UNC has performed very well on both ends of the floor, shooting 45.7 percent from the field for 83.8 ppg and allowing only 66.2 ppg on 33.1 percent shooting. Six players put up at least 8.0 ppg, led by Meeks, who is a nightly threat for a double-double with 14.3 ppg and 10.8 rpg. Johnson (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg) is another mainstay in the paint, while Marcus Paige (13.5 ppg) and Justin Jackson (11.5 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers.