No. 11 UNC Disappoints CBB Fans as Rally Falls Short in March Madness Loss to Ole Miss

RJ Davis' final game for North Carolina was a first-round NCAA Tournament loss.

Davis recorded 15 points Friday as UNC's late comeback attempt fell short in a 71-64 loss to Ole Miss in the Round of 64.

Ole Miss went into halftime Friday with a 44-26 lead after making seven three-pointers in the first 20 minutes.

UNC's slow start led some college basketball fans to wonder if the Tar Heels deserved to be the final program in to the 68-team NCAA Tournament field.

Amid a second-half scoring drought by the Rebels, North Carolina climbed back to within four points of tying in the final five minutes of the game.

With just over one minute remaining, RJ Davis made a layup while drawing a foul to take the Tar Heels within two points of the Rebels.

Ole Miss guard Sean Pedulla responded with his team's first three-pointer of the second half to restore a five-point lead.

UNC made it to the first round thanks to a Tuesday blowout of San Diego State.

Hubert Davis will now finish his fourth season in Chapel Hill with an 8-3 NCAA Tournament record. The head coach, who signed an extension running through 2030 in February, has yet to lead the Tar Heels back to the national championship game since his first season with the program in 2021-22.

With UNC expected to rebuild the roster this offseason without Davis, Friday's loss led some fans to question whether the head coach should return for a fifth season with the team.

Pedulla led the Rebels with 20 points, while Dre Davis posted 15 to help Ole Miss advance past the first round for the first time since 2015.

The Rebels will now prepare to play Iowa State with a ticket to the Sweet 16 on the line.