North Carolina Basketball: 3 Big Reasons Why the Tar Heels Lost to UNLV

UNLV dominated both ends of the court and beat the No.1 UNC Tar Heels 90-80.

Roy Williams' seasoned team looked inexperienced and unprepared to do what it takes to win this game in Las Vegas.

Rather than being confident and competent, UNC appeared to play tentatively, and without passion.

While there were many factors that led to this upset, here are three big reasons that the Rebels took out the Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels Didn't Effectively Defend the Three-Point Line

Chace Stanback (pictured) scored 28 points, including four timely three-pointers.

When the Rebels needed baskets in the second half, they penetrated into the lane, and then kicked the ball outside.

For the game, the Rebels hit 13 shots from beyond the arc.

The Tar Heels Were Beaten on the Boards

Last year, North Carolina was the nation's leading rebounding team.

Las Vegas beat the Tar Heels on the boards 42-36. UCLA transfer Mike Moser pulled down 18 boards, three more than Tyler Zeller and John Henson combined.

The Tar Heels had trouble, especially in the second half, keeping the Rebels off the offensive glass.

UNLV had 13 offensive rebounds. UNC had nine.

The Tar Heels' "Big Three" Had a Poor Shooting Night

The Tar Heels' shot selection was questionable for a big part of this disappointing loss. Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller shot 11-for-34 from the field. Zeller scored a season-low five points on 1-for-6 shooting.

Kendall Marshall, UNC's star point guard, couldn't hit a shot to take some of the pressure off of the inside players.