UNC Basketball took down an experienced Oregon squad in a hard-fought third-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis and we learned a lot about them in the process.

The best teams usually bounce back after a loss and that is precisely what UNC Basketball did on Friday in the third-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Tar Heels were coming off of a loss to a tough Michigan team in the first round but their third-place game with the No. 11 Oregon Ducks provided a great opportunity to pick up a win over a ranked opponent, and they treated it as such.

This was a game in which neither team would relent, with the largest lead being 10 points by UNC. But despite this game being very close throughout, the North Carolina Tar Heels clearly dominated the game physically, as evidenced by their advantage over the Ducks in free throw attempts (21-20), blocks (12-4), and rebounds (47-39).

North Carolina held a five-point lead going into the half but Oregon felt good knowing that the Tar Heels—much like every team in the nation—was having some trouble containing stellar point guard Payton Pritchard. Despite a spirited effort on the offensive glass, a great job protecting the ball, and some excellent 3-point shooting, Oregon couldn’t do much with a North Carolina team that was imposing in the paint.

After the tough loss to Michigan, this win in which the Tar Heels controlled throughout was an excellent way to build momentum heading into a big-time matchup with No. 10 Ohio State.