1. A second half comeback failed and Carolina couldn’t control the glass, losing 90-84 to a good Florida team.

2. Carolina came into the game knowing that Florida was extremely competent on offense. They proved it when it mattered most and that made the difference in the game. Florida scored 17 second-chance points in the second half alone, and 11 of those second-chance points came in the final 6:30. This is a stretch where it was essentially a one-possession game the entire time, meaning the Tar Heels got the first stop but then didn’t finish it off with the defensive rebound. In the game, Florida held a 46-36 lead and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds off 35 missed shots, meaning they recovered almost halfway through – right on their season average.

3. Combined with the struggles on the backboard, the Heels also missed three of the last four free throws they attempted, including two one-on-one opportunities up front.

4. That was part of a disappointing final few minutes in which Carolina had a four-point lead with 4:03 left, a three-point lead with 2:44 left and a two-point lead with 2:13 left. But Florida answered each of those Tar Heel hoots, with two of the three answers coming on offensive rebounds. The Tar Heels just couldn’t stop when they needed to, and that made the difference in the game.

5. Much of the second half was due to great work from UNC’s guards. During one stretch, the Carolina trio was from RJ Davis, Ian Jackson And Seth Trimble combined to score 22 straight UNC points. Davis finished with 29, Jackson and Trimble each with 11 and Elliot Cadeau also added 11 but struggled badly in the final 90 seconds.

6. The end was a frustrating conclusion to what had been an encouraging second half. The Heels had significantly more energy right at the start of the second half, initially ignited Ven Allen Lubin and then powered by Hubert Davis after an early Gators timeout.

7. That helped the Heels recover from a difficult first half when Florida scored 46 points. Carolina stayed in the game at the free throw line in the first half. The Tar Heels posted a 10-13 record at the charity tournament, which was the only way to slightly offset an 11-37 performance from the field and a 2-16 performance through three games. Florida’s nine turnovers were the only way the deficit was within 46-34 at halftime. The end of the second half will obscure the fact that the Heels simply weren’t intense enough in the first 20 minutes again – continuing a pattern that the coaches have repeatedly emphasized needs to change.

8. Davis’ 29 passed Phil Ford for Carolina’s third all-time score. But some of the funniest moments came from Jackson, who took advantage of some mismatches against the Florida big men and electrified the Spectrum Center crowd with some of his drives to the rim.

9. Florida supported this comeback by committing eight turnovers in the second half. Carolina knew exactly what to do with them and turned those mistakes into 16 points. With a few three-point plays, they converted seven of those eight mistakes into points.

10. But here’s what you can say about Florida: They played turnover-free in the 7:30 final. When they had to take care of the ball, they did. That and her ability to smash the glass decided the game.

11. The Tar Heels still have a lot of work to do defensively. They simply need to get better, with the ceiling somewhat limited by personnel and the lack of a big man who can challenge opposing drivers or clean up misses. The Gators finished the game with a shooting percentage of 46.2 percent. Some of the recent problems were physical limitations, but some crucial problems appeared to be simple misunderstandings and the fact that the five players on the pitch were not on the same page. Clean up just those two possessions and we could be talking about a different outcome.

12. Three-point shooting is a problem. Carolina went 5 of 28 in three games, meaning they have a record of 25 of 111 (22.5%) from three games in their last four games.

13. Carolina stayed in the game at the free throw line in the first half. The Tar Heels posted a 10-13 record at the charity tournament, which was the only way to slightly offset an 11-37 performance from the field and a 2-16 performance through three games. Florida’s nine turnovers were the only way the deficit was within 46-34 at halftime.

14. Tuesday’s game was Carolina’s third game at the Jumpman Invitational. The event was originally scheduled for three years, meaning it could open up a spot on Carolina’s schedule next year. The Heels are now 2-1 in the event and 18-3 at the Spectrum Center.

15. And the Tar Heels are looking for these spots. As Hubert Davis As discussed in this week’s Check-In interview, this year’s schedule is impressive even beyond UNC’s high standards. In fact, that conversation led to this look at the league: Carolina is the only program in the ACC that will play at home just five times in its first 12 games. Every team other than Florida State plays at least seven home games (the ‘Noles have six). Nationally, Auburn and Alabama are the only teams in the current top 25 that have played just five home games in their first dozen contests. Tuesday’s game marked only the second time in program history that the Heels faced four top-10 opponents before New Year’s Day (the other was in 1967).

16. No surprise since Carolina was back in its hometown of Charlotte, but it was great to see Tar Heel standout Antawn Jamison at Tuesday’s game. That meant two of Carolina’s five living retired jersey wearers were at the Spectrum Center, as Phil Ford was also in attendance. Other heels on hand: Brendan Haywood and Dante Calabria, among others.

17. Quite simply, Saturday’s game against UCLA at Madison Square Garden is a must-see. The Heels desperately need this game for their postseason qualification.